Technology Adoption for Active and Healthy Ageing among Current and Future Generations of Older Adults
(2025) In Lund University, Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series- Abstract
- To promote active and healthy ageing (AHA), it is essential to understand how different generations engage with digital technologies, as these tools are becoming increasingly integral to everyday life. This thesis project explored technology adoption among men and women from three age groups representing different generations (30–39, 50–59 and 70–79 years), focusing on attitudes, usage patterns, and factors that facilitate or hinder engagement with technologies intended to support AHA.
Using a multi-methods approach, four interrelated studies were conducted. The first study, based on a national survey, examined generational attitudes toward a broad spectrum of technologies and their relevance in supporting AHA. Using the same dataset,... (More) - To promote active and healthy ageing (AHA), it is essential to understand how different generations engage with digital technologies, as these tools are becoming increasingly integral to everyday life. This thesis project explored technology adoption among men and women from three age groups representing different generations (30–39, 50–59 and 70–79 years), focusing on attitudes, usage patterns, and factors that facilitate or hinder engagement with technologies intended to support AHA.
Using a multi-methods approach, four interrelated studies were conducted. The first study, based on a national survey, examined generational attitudes toward a broad spectrum of technologies and their relevance in supporting AHA. Using the same dataset, the second study investigated how socio-demographic factors and attitudes towards digital technology were associated with reported ability to keep up with technological developments. Based on data from a national panel, the third study captured self-reported changes in digital technology use and attitudes during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing insights into how period effects might influence digital engagement. The fourth study employed focus group interviews in an experimental housing environment to explore perceived barriers and facilitators to adopting smart home technologies among current and future older adults.
The generational perspective reveals that shared or overlapping views on technology can be more influential than age-based stereotypes when it comes to technology attitudes and adoption. Rather than labelling older adults as inherently “technophobic”, or younger adults as automatically “tech-savvy,” the findings show that attitudes toward technology are more strongly influenced by perceived usefulness, personal motivation, and prior experience than by age alone.
Generational labels, while useful for capturing differences in digital familiarity and exposure, do not fully account for variation in adoption. Instead, technology engagement is shaped by individual resources, social influence, structural support, and sustainability concerns.
Overall, this thesis contributes to a more nuanced understanding of technology adoption that moves beyond chronological age. Challenging prevailing assumptions about ageing and technology, the findings underscore the need for inclusive and sustainable technology design, lifelong digital support systems, and policy attention paid to structural barriers such as affordability and access. These efforts are important to ensure that digital technologies can support autonomy, participation, and well-being for both current and future generations of older adults. (Less) - Abstract (Swedish)
- För att främja ett aktivt och hälsosamt åldrande (AHA) är det avgörande att förstå hur olika generationer använder digitala teknologier, då dessa verktyg blir en alltmer integrerad del av vardagen. Detta avhandlingsprojekt undersökte teknikanvändning bland kvinnor och män i tre åldersgrupper som representerar olika generationer (30–39, 50–59 och 70–79 år), med fokus på attityder, användningsmönster och faktorer som underlättar eller hindrar engagemang i teknologier avsedda att stödja AHA.
Med en multimetod ansats genomfördes fyra sammanlänkade studier. Den första studien, baserad på en nationell enkät, analyserade generationsskillnader i attityder till ett brett spektrum av teknologier och deras relevans för att stödja AHA. Med... (More) - För att främja ett aktivt och hälsosamt åldrande (AHA) är det avgörande att förstå hur olika generationer använder digitala teknologier, då dessa verktyg blir en alltmer integrerad del av vardagen. Detta avhandlingsprojekt undersökte teknikanvändning bland kvinnor och män i tre åldersgrupper som representerar olika generationer (30–39, 50–59 och 70–79 år), med fokus på attityder, användningsmönster och faktorer som underlättar eller hindrar engagemang i teknologier avsedda att stödja AHA.
Med en multimetod ansats genomfördes fyra sammanlänkade studier. Den första studien, baserad på en nationell enkät, analyserade generationsskillnader i attityder till ett brett spektrum av teknologier och deras relevans för att stödja AHA. Med samma datamaterial undersökte den andra studien hur socio-demografiska faktorer och attityder till digital teknik var kopplade till självrapporterad förmåga att hänga med i teknikutvecklingen. Den tredje studien, baserad på data från en nationell panel, fångade självrapporterade förändringar i användning av och attityder till digital teknik under den tidiga fasen av covid-19-pandemin, vilket gav insikter om hur periodeffekter kan påverka digitalt engagemang. Den fjärde studien använde fokusgruppsintervjuer i en experimentell boendemiljö för att utforska upplevda hinder och möjliggörare för att ta till sig smarta hem-teknologier bland nuvarande och framtida äldre vuxna.
Det generationsperspektiv som används visar att delade eller överlappande synsätt på teknik mellan åldersgrupper kan vara mer avgörande än åldersbaserade stereotyper när det gäller teknikattityder och användning. Istället för att kategorisera äldre vuxna som inneboende ”teknofoba” eller yngre vuxna som automatiskt ”tech-savvy”, visar resultaten att attityder till teknik i högre grad påverkas av upplevd nytta, personlig motivation och tidigare erfarenheter än av ålder i sig. Generationsetiketter kan vara användbara för att fånga skillnader i digital vana och exponering, men förklarar inte fullt ut variationen i teknikanvändning. Istället formas engagemang i teknik av individuella resurser, social påverkan, strukturellt stöd och hållbarhetsaspekter.
Sammanfattningsvis bidrar avhandlingen till en mer nyanserad förståelse av teknikanvändning som går bortom kronologisk ålder. Genom att utmana rådande antaganden om åldrande och teknik understryker resultaten behovet av inkluderande och hållbar teknikutformning, livslånga digitala stödsystem och ett politiskt fokus på strukturella hinder såsom kostnader och tillgång. Dessa insatser är viktiga för att säkerställa att digital teknik kan stödja självständighet, delaktighet och välbefinnande för både nuvarande och framtida generationer av äldre vuxna. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/0de2a837-929e-4310-a9a1-bcaae0076974
- author
- Offerman, Jens LU
- supervisor
-
- Susanne Iwarsson LU
- Steven Schmidt LU
- Sofi Fristedt LU
- opponent
-
- docent Malinowsky, Camilla, Karolinska Institutet
- organization
- alternative title
- Teknikanvändning för ett aktivt och hälsosamt åldrande bland nuvarande och framtida generationer av äldre vuxna
- publishing date
- 2025
- type
- Thesis
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Teknikanvändning, Ålderism, digitalt utanförskap, aktivt och hälsosamt åldrande, digital inkludering, Technology adoption,, active and healthy ageing, digital inclusion, digital divide, ageism
- in
- Lund University, Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series
- issue
- 2025:77
- pages
- 94 pages
- publisher
- Lund University, Faculty of Medicine
- defense location
- Segerfalksalen, BMC A10, Sölvegatan 17 i Lund. Join by Zoom: https://lu-se.zoom.us/j/61112899855
- defense date
- 2025-09-17 09:00:00
- ISSN
- 1652-8220
- ISBN
- 978-91-8021-730-9
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 0de2a837-929e-4310-a9a1-bcaae0076974
- date added to LUP
- 2025-08-13 14:37:09
- date last changed
- 2025-08-29 09:00:07
@phdthesis{0de2a837-929e-4310-a9a1-bcaae0076974,
abstract = {{To promote active and healthy ageing (AHA), it is essential to understand how different generations engage with digital technologies, as these tools are becoming increasingly integral to everyday life. This thesis project explored technology adoption among men and women from three age groups representing different generations (30–39, 50–59 and 70–79 years), focusing on attitudes, usage patterns, and factors that facilitate or hinder engagement with technologies intended to support AHA.<br/>Using a multi-methods approach, four interrelated studies were conducted. The first study, based on a national survey, examined generational attitudes toward a broad spectrum of technologies and their relevance in supporting AHA. Using the same dataset, the second study investigated how socio-demographic factors and attitudes towards digital technology were associated with reported ability to keep up with technological developments. Based on data from a national panel, the third study captured self-reported changes in digital technology use and attitudes during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing insights into how period effects might influence digital engagement. The fourth study employed focus group interviews in an experimental housing environment to explore perceived barriers and facilitators to adopting smart home technologies among current and future older adults. <br/>The generational perspective reveals that shared or overlapping views on technology can be more influential than age-based stereotypes when it comes to technology attitudes and adoption. Rather than labelling older adults as inherently “technophobic”, or younger adults as automatically “tech-savvy,” the findings show that attitudes toward technology are more strongly influenced by perceived usefulness, personal motivation, and prior experience than by age alone.<br/>Generational labels, while useful for capturing differences in digital familiarity and exposure, do not fully account for variation in adoption. Instead, technology engagement is shaped by individual resources, social influence, structural support, and sustainability concerns.<br/>Overall, this thesis contributes to a more nuanced understanding of technology adoption that moves beyond chronological age. Challenging prevailing assumptions about ageing and technology, the findings underscore the need for inclusive and sustainable technology design, lifelong digital support systems, and policy attention paid to structural barriers such as affordability and access. These efforts are important to ensure that digital technologies can support autonomy, participation, and well-being for both current and future generations of older adults.}},
author = {{Offerman, Jens}},
isbn = {{978-91-8021-730-9}},
issn = {{1652-8220}},
keywords = {{Teknikanvändning; Ålderism; digitalt utanförskap; aktivt och hälsosamt åldrande; digital inkludering; Technology adoption,; active and healthy ageing; digital inclusion; digital divide; ageism}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{2025:77}},
publisher = {{Lund University, Faculty of Medicine}},
school = {{Lund University}},
series = {{Lund University, Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series}},
title = {{Technology Adoption for Active and Healthy Ageing among Current and Future Generations of Older Adults}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/225310541/Jens_Offerman_-_WEBB.pdf}},
year = {{2025}},
}