Does Using Technological Devices Motivate Older Adults to Engage in Physical Activities? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

The demographic challenges posed by the aging population, represent a strain on national healthcare systems and highlight the need for preventive measures to improve this population's health. Previous studies have emphasized the benefits of Physical activity (PA) on cognitive and physical health, especially in late life. Despite the well-established advantages of PA, a substantial portion of the global population remains insufficiently engaged in such activities. In this scenario technologies, such as smartphones, wearable devices, exergaming, and virtual reality, have the potential to promote an active lifestyle. The primary aim of the present systematic review is to summarize the evidence regarding the motivational factors associated with technological devices that lead to an increase in engagement in PA by healthy older adults through different measures of motivation. To further understand the role of technologies, this study considers if the outdoor environment and technology might enhance motivation for PA more effectively than either element alone. Results of the study showed that technologies have shown the potential for increasing PA in this population, activating different motivational dynamics. Moreover, the meta-analysis results showed a small significant effect of technologies on Intrinsic Motivation (i.e., exercising for the inherent enjoyment or satisfaction it provides). However, the included literature has shown major limitations such as a lack of a clear definition of the construct of motivation, the presence of methodological biases, and high heterogeneity. Future research should overcome those limitations and provide more solid evidence of the motivational effect of technologies in the old adult population.