Explanatory Model of Awareness Factors of Smart Technologies for Independent Living at Home in Later Life

Abstract

Background: Despite the rapid development of Smart Technologies for Independent Living at Home (STILH) among older adults, their market is still underdeveloped. Low awareness is one of the key reasons for the slow uptake of STILH in later life. A significant gap exists in the literature regarding the factors that shape older adults' awareness of STILH. Objective: The aim is to provide a conceptual overview and empirical test of awareness factors of STILH in later life. An explanatory model is proposed by integrating insights from consumer behaviour, information processing and technology adoption models. Methods: The model is tested with structural equation modelling based on survey data from a sample of 1200 internet users aged 55+ in June 2024. Results: The results support all the proposed hypotheses, indicating that exposure to information about STILH, source expertise, self-source congruity and individuals’ innovativeness directly influence awareness of STILH. Moreover, inherent novelty seeking and self-efficacy influence individuals’ innovativeness, and together with self-source congruity and source expertise positively affect exposure to information about STILH. Conclusion: Based on the study results, interventions can be tailored to help scale up STILH more efficiently, ultimately improving quality of life.