The Impact of Digital Coaching Intervention for Improving Healthy Ageing Dimensions among Older Adults during Their Transition from Work to Retirement

Abstract

Retirement is a critical step in older adults’ lives, so it is important to motivate them to stay physically active, mentally healthy, and socially connected in the transition from work to retirement, including through digital health coaching programs. This study aims to: evaluate the impact of a digital coaching intervention to enhance three healthy ageing dimensions, i.e., physical activity, mental well-being, and socialization of a group of adults near retirement; understand the users’ experience; and identify the system strengths and weaknesses. This longitudinal mixed-methods study, carried out in 2021 in Italy and the Netherlands, enrolled 62 individuals. In the first 5 weeks of the trial, participants used a digital coach with the support of human coaches, and then they continued autonomously for another 5 weeks. The use of the digital coach improved the participants’ physical activity, mental well-being and self-efficacy during the first period and only the physical activity in the second. An effective coaching system should be flexible and attractive. High levels of personalization remain the golden key to aligning the health program to the physical, cognitive and social status of the intended target, thus increasing the user-system interaction, usability, and acceptability, as well as enhancing adherence to the intervention.