SynthesisJMIR mHealth and uHealth2026
Perceptions of Adults Aged 50 Years and Older Regarding the Use of Wearable mHealth Technologies to Promote Physical Activity: Systematic Review and Meta-Ethnography.
Synthesis in JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Despite advances in wearable mobile health (mHealth) technologies and their associated apps designed to promote physical activity, and the importance of adapting them to users, little is known about older adults' perceptions of these technologies. Objective: This review aimed to synthesize and analyze qualitative evidence exploring the perceptions of adults aged 50 years and older regarding areas to improve, barriers to, and facilitators of wearable mHealth technologies (activity trackers and companion apps) to promote physical activity. Methods: A qualitative systematic review and meta-ethnography was conducted. Comprehensive searches were performed across 8 databases (MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, The Cochrane Library Plus, PsycINFO, ProQuest, and ÍnDICEs-CSIC) for articles published in English or Spanish between January 2013 and January 2024. The synthesis followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) and ENTREQ (Enhancing Transparency in Reporting the Synthesis of Qualitative Research) guidelines. Results: Ten articles met the inclusion criteria and were synthesized using meta-ethnography. Three main themes emerged: (1) barriers to promoting physical activity caused by wearable mHealth technologies: personal barriers (physical aspects, perceptions about technology, and personal preferences), technological barriers (functionality, content, design, alarms, availability, and accessibility), and environmental barriers (season of the year); (2) personal facilitators (consideration that these apps improve health, perceptions about technology, and personal preferences), technological facilitators (functionality, content, and design), relational facilitators (technological and social support), environmental facilitators (seasonal variations), and health care professionals (support and monitoring by health care services); and (3) personal areas (perceptions about technology and personal preferences), technological areas (functionality, content, and design), and relational areas (technological support). Conclusions: Although older adults acknowledge the potential of wearable mHealth technologies to promote physical activity, their effective engagement is hindered by distinct personal, technological, and environmental barriers. Bridging the digital divide requires designers to prioritize user-centered, age-friendly interfaces that are integrated with continuous support from health care professionals. To promote genuine health equity, future research must rigorously report intersectional demographics to ensure that mHealth interventions mitigate, rather than inadvertently exacerbate, existing disparities.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.