Effects of multimodal feedback on the usability of mobile diet diary for older adults

Abstract

Globally, overweight is an increasing problem and this especially the case for older adults, facing physical challenges and who need to maintain a healthy diet. eHealth services, such as a digital diet diary could support them. Consequently, we designed a multimodal mobile diet diary supporting interaction through text, graphics and speech. The diary, which gave personalized advice about maintaining a healthy diet based on meals entries, was evaluated with 32 older adults in a Smart Home Lab through use of scenarios. Results indicate that participants' satisfaction was highest when the feedback was provided through text and graphics. We found no effect on the effectiveness and efficiency. Additionally, spatial ability, computer experience and age explained variance in the evaluation of the diary. Our findings show that a multimodal mobile diet diary can support older adults maintaining a healthy diet and give insights on designing usable mobile interfaces for older adults. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.