Gerontechnology acceptance by older Hong Kong people

Purpose Technology develops at tremendous speed and its impact on our daily life is immense. However, studies have found that older adults are less likely to use technologies than younger people. The purpose of this study was to investigate the gerontechnology acceptance by the older population in Hong Kong. Acceptance was examined in terms of attitude and usage behaviour. Method Using extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) which incorporates health abilities and quality of life constructs, we investigated the contributing factors to the use of general gerontechnology by older adults in Hong Kong. Usage behaviour was measured in terms of degree and domains of use. Data in this study were collected at six centres for the elderly in Hong Kong through a questionnaire survey administrated by a structural interview approach. Items in the questionnaire were developed based on the previous research. Results & Discussion A total of 104 seniors, aged between 60 and 91, participated in the study. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software was used to analyze the data. The results show that basic technologies such as television and mobile phones had a high level of adoption by the respondents. However, the usage rate of high technology products, like health monitoring system and telemedicine was very low. Generally, older adults had a positive attitude towards gerontechnology, but they thought technological products and services were difficult to use and expensive. Multiple regression results indicated that older adults who were younger, females, better educated, and had higher incomes were more likely to use gerontechnology. Usefulness, ease of use, attitude, and behavioural intention were found to have no direct effects on actual usage. Mobility was negatively related to usage, whereas health satisfaction and participation in social activities increased usage. Implications and suggestions of this study are discussed.