Work

Identifying Design Opportunities for Behavior Displacement for Intervening Sedentary Time among Older Adults

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Prolonged sedentary behavior poses significant health risks, calling for interventions that promote active lifestyles. For older adults, every physical activity, no matter how small or significant, plays a vital role in their quality of life. However, many interventions aimed at reducing sedentary behavior have overlooked the unique needs and preferences of older adults. In this study, we explore design opportunities for supporting behavior displacement---replacing sedentary time with active movements---as a potential strategy for intervening sedentary time among older adults. Through a 7-day diary study and interviews with 13 participants, we uncovered key factors, such as attention demand, productivity and quality of activities, physical fatigue, as well as social norms, that influence their decisions to engage in displacement. We also identified sequential and concurrent displacement strategies and the contexts in which each was employed. Our findings highlight the need for designing personalized, adaptive interventions that respect the diverse preferences and agency of older adults.

Source: Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive Mobile Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies

DOI: 10.1145/3749476

Authors: Mengying Li, Eun Kyoung Choe

Institution: University of Maryland, College Park

Language: English

Topic: Innovative Human-Technology Interaction

Subfield: Human-Computer Interaction

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: National Science Foundation