AHFE Open AccessHuman Factors in Aging and Special Needs
Editors: Jay Kalra
Topics: Aging and Special Needs
Publication Date: 2022
ISBN: 978-1-958651-14-8
DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1001656
Articles
Assessment of Flower Stand and the Sensory Experience in Horticultural Activities
This study explored how the five senses can enhance the efficacy of activities in horticultural courses. In combination with a redesigned flower stand, the present study designed course content suitable for Taiwan's sensory gardens and horticultural activities. The study was conducted in three stages: (1) evaluation of the usability of the flower stand through non-participatory observation and interviews; (2) a plant–sense combination experiment conducted using plants recommended by a horticultural therapist, and the research participants were asked to evaluate the sensory stimulation of the plants; and (3) a sensory horticultural course experiment in which older adults with dementia used the redesigned flower stand. This study showed the sensory experience of older adults as affected by each plant in the horticultural class. The aged are satisfied with the new flower stands and matching plant combinations. Those can be widely integrated into community care in the future to achieve the goal of local aging.
Meng-Cong Zheng, Chingi Chen, Iwen Yen
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
Design Research of Elderly-oriented Cultural and Creative Products Based on User Analysis
Research and analyse the development trend of cultural and creative product design in the context of active ageing, pay attention to the daily needs and emotional needs of the elderly, and study the characteristics of cultural and creative product design serving elderly users. The principles of elderly-oriented design for cultural and creative products are reasonably applied and appropriately grasped, and the age-appropriate design system is continuously improved. Combine the contents of user experience design science and other contents, propose an elderly-oriented design strategy for cultural and creative products that pays attention to the physical and mental health of the elderly, and provide new ideas for ageing cultural and creative design. The study shows that while developing the consumption market for middle and upper knowledgeable people, cultural and creative products can also turn to age stratification and focus part of their attention on the elderly who have a sense of affinity with traditional culture, contributing to the promotion of the process of active ageing.
Wei Ding, Shanshan Sun
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
The Kitchen Product Design Oriented to the Motor Capability of Armless People
Armless people face more difficulties in daily self-care activities such as cooking. Most of the existing kitchen products are based on the needs of normal people and rarely consider the characteristics of the disadvantaged group of armless people. Armless people can only use the product through the feet, chin and residual limb, which has high requirements for motor capability. Therefore, it is difficult to guarantee the efficiency, safety and operating comfort of the products, which has also become an obstacle to independent living of people without arms. The goal of this research is to design kitchen products suitable for people without arms. The research uses the definition and evaluation method of user capability in the capability-demand theory proposed by Clarkson et al. to disassemble the motor capability in user capability into strength, dexterity, reach and mobility. Through survey questionnaires, we can understand the scores of armless people on specific motor capabilities and use their higher-scoring motor capabilities to match the demands of product use in design practice, so as to improve the operability of the product. Based on the design strategy of P. John Clarkson and others for products using hands, the author summarizes the design strategy of products that use lower limbs and foot operations from the 6 dimensions of position, shape, force, precision, task and environment. It is proposed for guiding how to design products for armless people, the author also designs kitchen products based on this, hoping to help armless people cook like normal people. The analysis of the motor capability of armless people in this study can provide a reference for product design for this disadvantaged group. As a group with low levels of attention in the market, design, and society, the research on armless people has expanded the connotation and scope of inclusive design to a certain extent.
Mengjiao Bai, Xiaodong Gong
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
Human Factors Considerations in Design for the Elderly
As the elderly population continues to grow in many developed countries, there is an immense need for products and services to improve their well-being. At present, numerous supportive technologies are being implemented to assist the elderly, both at home and outdoors. However, the application of human factors is often overlooked in the development of such technologies. Identifying human factors and ergonomic issues could help to produce designs that better meet the capabilities, limitations, and needs of the elderly. It also serves to increase the well-being and comfort of the elderly and to reduce the potential errors that often occur when using technology. Therefore, we conducted this study to analyze the prevalent problems related to human factors among the elderly and identify possible solutions to improve products and services for the target population.
Ulugbek Ismatullaev, Alisher Saduakas, Kwanmyung Kim
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
Reducing Work-Related Stressors in the Care of People with Dementia through Music Intervention - What Factors Matter?
The disease-related behavioral changes of people with dementia, such as depression, place a high burden on caregivers. Music interventions can alleviate these neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS). However, little is known about which people with dementia benefit most from it. Therefore, it is difficult to efficiently integrate music interventions into caregivers’ work processes. This study aimed to investigate whether there are factors that can be used to predict the effect of a music intervention on people with dementia. For this, a controlled pre-post-study with 28 people with dementia were conducted. Participants listened to their favorite music played during personal care. Before and after the intervention period, their NPS severity were assessed using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire. The pre-post-differences in NPS severity were descriptively analyzed as a function of age, gender, dementia severity, need for care, and disease pattern. Finally, music intervention particularly improved the NPS of women and people with severe dementia or need for care. The findings enable caregivers to preselect people with dementia who are likely to respond positively to a music intervention. Thereby, a reduction in their stress can be expected because of the targeted alleviation of the stressor NPS and the elimination of ineffective applications.
Elisabeth Ibenthal, Claus Backhaus
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
Designing Positive User Experiences to Encourage Older Adults’ Self-care
User experience can be defined as the sum of responses elicited from the user by a succession of events that take place during the interaction with a device or system, where not only the users’ capabilities are considered, but also their needs and attitudes. Older users are more likely to make decisions based on emotion and past experiences, as their other capabilities decline due to the inevitable ageing of the body tissues. In a simplistic view, user’s capabilities can be divided into four components: the sensory level is related to the inputs from the environment, whilst cognitive and affective levels judge and mediate what the most appropriate physical output for an interaction should be, according to the context in which the overall user experience takes place. In young adults, these responses tend to happen almost simultaneously. With ageing, there is a natural decay of the sensory, cognitive and physical levels. The slow-down of sensory conduction speed and a decrease in the intensity of sensation translate into a partial awareness of the world around us. Cognitive decline impacts negatively on information processing which progressively takes longer. On top of that, motor abilities are compromised, and physical responses are delayed. The affective level, on the other hand, becomes a stronger component of users’ capabilities, compared to the other three levels. Gradually, it serves more and more as an aiding tool for decision making, prior to, and during user experience. However, unless a vigilant design process that addresses older adults’ requirements is in place, the consequences of sensory, cognitive and physical ageing result in a slow-paced, hesitant interaction and an unsatisfying user experience. User-centred design in healthcare should aim at realising the optimal embodiment of user requirements to deliver the best possible experience and encourage consistent adherence to health treatment or monitoring routines, especially in the home environment. The product has not only to be useful and usable; it also needs to be desirable in ways that transcend aesthetics. Its design has to communicate to users that the product matches their capabilities, meets their expectations, and provides obvious information about its utility. The ultimate goal is to help improve the physical and emotional aspects of older patients’ well-being by removing, as much as possible, any negative elements from the use process to facilitate an inviting, engaging and – why not – fulfilling experience. This work focuses on better understanding older adults’ needs, capabilities and attitudes, and emphasises the necessity to design for their inclusion by involving this user group in human factors activities throughout the medical device development process.
Ana Cristina Barbosa Medeiros
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
Program for Social and Psychological Rehabilitation of People with Disabilities
The article considers the program of social and psychological rehabilitation of applicants with physical dysfunctions. Social and psychological rehabilitation is defined as a multicomponent concept that is closely related to the concepts of socialization, adaptation and development of psychological skills and abilities. Research papers on psychological rehabilitation, inclusive education and distance learning caused by the spread of COVID-19 are analyzed. The article proposes program aimed at providing a systematic approach to the organization of adaptation of applicants with physical dysfunctions, implementation of psychological and pedagogical support, correctional and rehabilitation measures through training programs and inclusive tourism, research on the level of rehabilitation and adaptation to the needs of each applicant with physical dysfunctions and institution of higher education in general. Tangled and complex character of the program was implemented on the basis of the Center for Social and Educational Integration and Inclusive Rehabilitation and Social Tourism "Without Barriers" of Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University. The implementation of the program of social and psychological rehabilitation of applicants with physical dysfunctions resulted in increased levels of adaptation in the educational environment, increased proportion of applicants with physical dysfunctions involved in informal activities and implementation of their own social projects.
Oksana Kravchenko, Katherine Chupina, Oleksandr Safin, Andrii Bespalko, Kateryna Kravchenko, Evgeniy Balabushka, Serhii Vasyliev, Yuliya Chernetska, Oleksandr Klochok
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
Evaluation of local muscular load on the forearm in industry
The paper is focused on influence of the upper limb position on the forearm iEMG activity. The paper describes the methodology of measurement and assessment of local muscle load in production workers with a detailed focus on the influence of the position of the upper limbs and the loads handled, because ergonomics affects not only the productivity of workers, but also their health. The paper contains the results of measurements on a group of 180 research participants aged 20-65 years. To understand the links between these activities, it was necessary to implement experimental measurements in laboratory conditions where probands performed controlled movements with different weights. The experimental results were then statistically evaluated and verified to determine the specific conclusions of the paper. It is a continuation of research that has already been described in the paper "Influence of the upper limb position on the forearm EMG activity – Preliminary Results".
Ilona Kačerová, Marek Bures, Jana Kleinová, Filip Rybnikár, Pavel Vránek
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
Late Economic Socialization: Regional Dimension
The aging society faced by many countries, can have a significant impact on employment, savings, consumption, economic growth, and fiscal balance. It is promising to consider the problems of an aging society through the prism of the effective economic socialization of the older generation, which allows ones to extend the working capacity, health and well-being of pensioners. Late economic socialization is understood as a process and result of a person's re-interpretation of the economic reality, acknowledged by changes in economic mind and behavior at the retirement as a new social status (Chestyunina & Zabelina, 2019). Factors that affect the effectiveness of the late economic socialization have not been sufficiently studied. This study seeks to fill this gap by the qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with pensioners living in different parts of the country (in the capital and in the industrial city). 12 respondents were interviewed in Moscow and 9 respondents in Chelyabinsk. Thematic analysis was used to systematize and analyze data. Despite the difference in living standards in the capital and the region, most pensioners in both groups are satisfied with their income level. An analysis of the distribution of daily financial spending and savings goals suggests that pensioners in the capital have a wider range of life needs and opportunities than in the region. Similarities in purchasing behavior among pensioners in the center of the country and on the periphery, as well as a relatively low level of consumer activity were found. A different attitude to loans was recorded among the respondents in different parts of the country. If in the region almost 100% of the respondents view loans sharply negatively, then in Moscow there are only half of such pensioners, the rest perceive the loan as normal fact and support it as an opportunity to purchase expensive goods. Plans for the future of Moscow pensioners are more diverse and include ambitious economic goals: to get an apartment in turn, to exchange an apartment, to close a mortgage. Only a small part of the respondents in Chelyabinsk (22%) set economic goals in the future, and they are associated with the continuation of employment. In addition, some of the opinions about the future in this group are very pessimistic. Pensioners in Moscow put money at a lower place in the value system than respondents in the region, which indicates a greater satisfaction with the material needs of pensioners in the capital. Representations about an ideal life in retirement are concentrated on issues of financial independence among Moscow respondents. For the pensioners in the region, besides wealth, health and a sense of stability play an important role. The criteria for an economically successful person are more blurred and uncertain in the group of the pensioners in the capital. The results indicate a regional specificity of the late economic socialization. The prospects for investigating the identified differences in the quantitative study are discussed.
Ekaterina Zabelina, Yulia Chestyunina, Ekaterina Vedeneeva, Irina Trushina, Svetlana Kurnosova
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
Functional Clothing Design for the Elderly
This paper introduces a functional clothing design for the elderly. Due to the aging of the elderly body organs and tissues, joint stability and mobility are declining, bone density and strength are also declining, physical activity is not as good as before. The purpose of this paper is to determine the needs and problems of the elderly on clothing and design functional clothing in line with their physiological functions and life needs.To determine the needs and problems of the elderly for clothing, we prepared a questionnaire, and the sample was from 101 elderly people across the country. Sample data show that the elderly have a great demand for the functionality of clothing, and have varying degrees of feedback on the color, fabric, size, structure, and other aspects of clothing. In combination with the questions reflected by the elderly in the questionnaire survey, we conducted market research on the existing clothing for the elderly. The results showed that the existing clothing for the elderly did not fully consider the physiological characteristics of the elderly to carry out the targeted design, and the clothing sold by the brand was relatively simple. In addition, the questionnaire sample data also showed that more than half of the elderly related to the section of pain, that the existing clothing wearing process is very difficult. Therefore, 10 elderly people with arthritis were selected from the questionnaire for in-depth interviews. Through the interview, we found that these elderly people, due to the lack of flexibility of joints, would consume a lot of time in the process of wearing clothes, especially pants. Therefore, clothing design for the elderly should be able to facilitate their life in the way of wearing, and reduce the difficulty of the elderly to put on and take off clothes.Based on the preliminary investigation, we came up with a design plan for the elderly. First of all, from the perspective of the model we adjust it according to the physiological characteristics of the elderly with arthritis. Due to the tubular design of pants, the elderly need to put the pants on the floor and wear them leg by leg, which is inconvenient in the process of putting them on and taking off. Therefore, we tried to change the original tubular sleeve pants into open pants, so that the elderly can wear them without lifting their legs. Since the open pants need to be designed with the function of closing, it takes more time for the button to be put on and taken off, and the zipper is not easy to wear, so we choose the mother-and-child buckle in the design. At the same time, according to the clinical symptoms and protection needs of arthritis, we focused on the knees and selected warmer and more protective materials for the knee. There are also some details on the pockets, belts and legs of trousers. Add protection to pocket openings to reduce the chance that items in your pocket will fall or be lost. In the waistband leg can be added to narrow the fixed details, to prevent the elderly from obstructing activities. Finally, the elderly living alone who had been followed up were interviewed to adjust the clothes and improve the design through their trying-on experience and wearing situation.
Yixin Fan, Xiaoping Hu
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
Factors Affecting Organization's Impression in Hiring Persons with Disability in the Manufacturing Industry
Persons with Disabilities (PWD) are those with long-term impairments such as physical, mental, intellectual, and sensory disablement according to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In the Philippines, a total of 1.44 million people live with disabilities and as of 2013, only 57.1% of them are employed. Moreover, 10.8% of the employed PWDs belong to the manufacturing sector. However, even with these numbers, people cannot deny that there are still companies who do not consider hiring PWDs even though studies show this may give benefits to them. With that, this study aims to determine the effects of age, sex, educational attainment, skills, and the type of impairment to an organization’s impression in hiring PWDs in the manufacturing industry. The researchers identified ‘Company Impression’ as the dependent variable in the study, where its independent variables are the demographic factors such as ‘Age’, ‘Sex’, and ‘Educational Attainment’, ‘Skills’, and ‘Type of Impairment’. In order to collect sufficient data to be analyzed in the study, survey questionnaires were handed out to HR recruitment employees of manufacturing companies in the Luzon island. A Structural Equation Model analysis was utilized in order to determine how the independent variables affect the dependent variable. Moreover, to ensure the accuracy and precision of the results, several softwares for data analysis was utilized such as the MS Excel and SPSS AMOS.
Felisa Carmella Dizon, Justine Ann Esguerra, Joseph Angelo San Gabriel, Ramon Gabriel Gomez, Carlos Ignacio Jr Lugay
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
Measuring and Testing Elderly People's Understanding of Internet Products APP Interface Design with Event‑Related Potentials
As more and more elderly people begin to accept and use Internet product app, the importance of interface icon design is becoming increasingly prominent. The aesthetic feeling and logic of interface icons will seriously affect the performance and experience of user information retrieval, especially for the elderly. Accurately understanding the semantics of interface icons is a part of efficient information retrieval. Questionnaires and behavioral tests are commonly used to measure icon understanding. However, biometric indicators have also been developed to measure icon understanding. The neural indexes of interface icon understanding were studied by measuring event-related potentials (ERPs). The stimulus 1-stimulus 2 paradigm was adopted in this study. 60 participants were divided into two groups and carried out icon recognition experiments independently in the laboratory. This study shows that N300 and N400 are effective neural indicators to evaluate interface icon understanding and can be used to predict interface icon understanding and behavior in the elderly.
Jian-Ping Yang, Lixia Hua
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
Digitalization in Public Care – Consequences on Workflow and Attitudes among Care Givers and Older Adults
To be able to meet the demographical changes and the increasing demand on resources within elder care, new digital tools are needed to an increasing extent. Implementation of new digital services demand both changes in workflow and skills in using the digital services. The feeling of being included in the process and time given for learning and introduction could affect how new digital tools are perceived by the personnel. However, time and resources for learning and support could vary between municipalities, and between units within the same municipality (Sjölinder & Mårtensson, 2021). Though both resources are limited, and it is important how new digital services are introduced to the personnel more in-depth knowledge is needed regarding which aspects that needs to be given the largest focus.With respect to older adults, there exist many assumptions and negative stereotypes regarding aging (Lagacé et al., 2015; McDonough, 2016), and about older adults as users of new digital services (Lagacé, et al, 2016; McDonough, 2016). However, many older adults today have experience from using technology and are in general positive to start to use new digital services, but as in the case with the personnel, the learning context and the time that is provided are important (Broady, 2010; Sjölinder & Mårtensson, 2021). When new digital tools are provided to the older adults by the municipality, the learning context for the older adults might be affected by the care givers time and engagement, which in turn could affect the attitudes that are conveyed to the older users about older adults as users of technology.This paper describes a qualitative study with the aim to get a deeper understanding of opportunities and challenges related to digitalization within municipalities. The focus is on how new digital tools have been implemented in the organizations, and on how it had affected care personnel and older care takers. This, in terms of how and to which extent has implementation of new digital tools changed work-related behavior and attitudes towards technology, and to which extent has it changed attitudes towards older adults as technology users.In the study, municipality managers at different levels where interviewed. They described concrete examples of digitalization based on experiences from within their own organization. Using the examples that were given, the respondents were asked questions about how the technology had been received by the personnel and the older adults; how it had affected the attitudes towards new digital tools among the care giving personnel and older adults; and how it had affected the way the personnel thought about organizational changes and changes in workflow related new digital tools. Finally, the respondents described, based on their own previous insights, the municipalities’ next steps towards digitalization, and how they wanted to use new digital tools to take their organizations further towards the future.
Marie Sjölinder, A Mårtensson
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
Design of Painting Workstation for Disabled People
Many people with disabilities, especially those with physical disabilities, could work, draw or produce art. However, very few workstations and tools are developed to meet their needs and conditions. The objective of this study is to evaluate the needs of an artist with a disability for an ergonomic workstation and to propose a prototype that increases the comfort and capabilities of people with physical disabilities to perform their tasks. First, we analyzed the tasks/activities, postures, and needs of an artist with a high level of disability while performing his drawing tasks in a real-life situation. Second, we simulated an art studio with the participation of six non-artist subjects with motor and mental disabilities to evaluate the user's experience and difficulties when painting in a similar real situation. Based on these studies, we proposed a specification for the design and prototyping of a painting workstation adapted for people with disabilities.Our analysis showed that very few workstations are adapted for people with disabilities and they must work on the floor with awkward postures, insufficient lighting and limited space. They have to make excessive efforts to perform most of their activities because the tools and workstations do not meet their needs. Based on the specifications extracted from our study, we propose a new design of painting workstation dedicated to disabled people to improve their comfort and performance.
Mohsen Zare, Antoine Varret, Nicolas Bert, Thierry Rouxel, Hugues Baume
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
Factors Influencing the Elderly’s Acceptance of Online Health Education Courses in Chronic Disease Based on DEMATEL Method
Online health education courses for chronic diseases are an important tool for the prevention of aging diseases. Analyzing the factors influencing the acceptance of the online courses by the elderly will help improve the design of the courses and make the elderly more willing to use this kind of health education courses.This study takes 60-75-year-old Chinese urban elderly as the research object, and collects relevant influencing factors through literature research. These factors are extracted, filtered and organized at three levels: visceral level, behavioral level and reflective level, resulting in 11 factors that influence the elderly’s acceptance of online education courses on chronic diseases. The Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) methodology was used in the study for user research and quantitative analysis.The results show that: (1) "subjective motivation", "technical acceptance" and "difficulty of operation" are the key factors affecting the acceptance of online chronic disease health education courses by the elderly. (2) "course price", "social support" and "course duration" are factors that have a strong influence on other factors.This research provides new perspectives and positive suggestions for the development of online health education courses for chronic diseases in the context of an aging society.
Rui Sun, Chunrong Liu
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
Early Intervention to Reduce Falls in Community-Active Seniors: A Pilot Study
Falling remains one of the chief causes of injury and reduced lifespan among people over 65 years of age. Clinical practice guidelines for primary care physicians instituted in 2004 have improved surveillance of seniors at significant risk of falling, resulting in a reduction in the annual prevalence of falls in people over 65, but still leaving more than one in 4 seniors subject to falling every year. Our research used a modified version of the multi-factorial risk screening (MFRS) and biomechanical measures of gait function, together with monthly follow-up over a 12-month period, to investigate the extent to which therapeutic intervention before patients enter the clinical fall-risk algorithm will reduce the risk of falls. A sample of 30 subjects were recruited in 3 age groups (65-74, 75-84, and 85+), and were randomly assigned to 3 treatment groups: control (initial data and MFRS with follow-up); managed (MFRS and biomechanical risk reported to subject, with follow-up); and mitigated (MFRS and biomechanical risks reported to geriatrician, with physical therapy and follow-up). Follow-up involved asking about falls, exercise type, and weekly exercise duration each month. MFRS and biomechanical measures were repeated after 12 months for the mitigated and managed groups.Physical therapy reduced the odds of falling by 8% among the youngest cohort, by 10% in the middle cohort, and by 3% in the oldest cohort, as measured by the logistic regression of MFRS scores. The mitigated group as a whole showed 16% lower prevalence of falling than the managed group. The mitigated group also maintained improved post-therapy gait mechanics by the end of the follow up period.In comparison, the managed group showed decreased gait function by the end of the follow up period. Managed subjects, who were given detailed reports about their risk of falling and how to reduce it, showed only modest changes in their overall risk of falling over the course of the year. Stratification of subjects into groups that exercised <90 minutes per week and >=90 minutes per week equally divided each of the three treatment groups. Reported exercise had no impact on fall risk. Problems with statistical power and exercise classification limited our ability to draw valid conclusions about the impact of exercise on the risk of falling in each sub-group.Our results indicate that use of a simple, clinically validated, multi-factorial risk assessment can identify people 65 and older who are at risk of falling before their physicians would otherwise recognize this. Targeted physical therapy can significantly reduce the risk of falling among this group. A more proactive clinical approach can prove more effective long-term than simply offering options for exercise, even when patients understand their risk of falling. Future work needs to investigate the dose-response and resilience of the response of specific types of exercise on gait biomechanics in different age groups.
Edwin Irwin, Richard Ackermann, David Taylor, Edward Obrien
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
Transforming the Elderly‘s Disadvantage into Advantage in Creativity Activities
Due to the crystal intelligence accumulated in life, the elderly have their unique advantages in creativity. However, in creativity activities, the elderly often lack self-confidence and motivation to participate because they are often perceived as lacking creativity, this phenomenon related to the degree of intersection of crystal intelligence between the evaluators involved in creativity evaluation and the older creators involved in creativity activities. The cross degree of crystal intelligence is closely related to the age difference. It is hypothesized that the lower the age intersection between the evaluator and the older respondent on Stenberg's writing domain creativity test, the higher the score of "originality" from the evaluators for the older respondent on the test. The creativity test in the writing domain proposed by Robert J. Sternberg is selected as the tool for this experiment. First, 6 elderly people aged 65 years and above with similar life experiences were recruited to take the creativity test in the domain of writing. Then 30 evaluators were recruited to evaluate the writing of 6 elderly people. The evaluators were divided into three equal groups, The first group of evaluators were 14 years old, the second group of evaluators were 31 years old, and the third group of evaluators were 48 years old. The lower the age intersection between the evaluator and the older respondent on Stenberg's writing domain creativity test, the higher the evaluation of "originality" from the evaluator for the older respondent on the test. The results of this study can provide a corresponding reference for constructing a creativity activity for the elderly, allowing the elderly to get more positive evaluation in creativity activities.
Yunmeng Zhao, Ding-Bang Luh, Yue Sun
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
An Analysis of Influential Factors to the Elderly’s Intention to Use Public Physical Exercising Facility Based on DEMATEL Approach
The concept of keeping healthy through exercising is widely accepted by people. In parks or green lands in Chinese cities, public physical exercising facilities have been set up for the general public to improve their own health for free. In this paper, DEMATEL method was used to analyze the influence mechanism of the elderly's intention to use public physical exercising facilities. 16 influential factors were collected from viewpoint of the human-machine-environment system, and 11 senior citizens over sixty years old who had the habit of using public physical exercising facilities were invited to carry out the DEMATEL questionnaire survey. The findings show(1)’the habit of physical exercise’, ‘the safety of public physical exercising facilities’, ‘versatility and convenience of public physical exercising facilities’, ‘the entertainment facilities around the public physical exercising facilities’, and ‘the solid ground around the physical exercising facilities ensuring the elderly stand firmly’ have a significant impact on elderly's usage intention of public physical exercising facilities; and(2)among all the factors, ‘the habit of physical exercise’ is the most dominant influential factor. Finally, based on the findings, three design strategies that may enhance elderly’s intention to use public physical exercising facilities were proposed: (1)incorporating the concept of keeping exercise into the design of public physical exercising facilities; (2)setting up public physical exercising places in or near the neighborhood; (3)building activity centers for the elderly around public physical exercising facilities.
Zan Mengyao, Chunrong Liu
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings
Addressing the Gaps in Elderly Falling Prevention from the Perspective of a Human-Centered Design.
People that were born during the “baby boom” are currently entering retirement age, which may bring about various issues. Elderly people may live longer than previous senior generations and experience more health issues that increase pressures on healthcare facilities. As this population grows, studying the issues that affect the elderly along with relevant solutions is vital. One such issue is falls, which cause various health-deteriorating consequences and even death in millions of seniors annually worldwide. Although numerous studies have been conducted on fall risk factors, there is still a gap in the study of interventions to address these factors. Here, a systematic literature review of all possible risk factors for falls and solutions addressing them was conducted. During the review process, certain gaps in interventions addressing the risk factors of falls were found. Hence, this study aimed to shed light on such gaps and provide insights on solutions from a human-centered design perspective.
Alisher Saduakas, Ulugbek Ismatullaev, Kwanmyung Kim
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Design Analysis of Sit-up Booster Based on KANO Model
Purpose: With the advent of the Industry 4.0 era, technology's continuous development and progress. Working and studying in a fixed posture for a long time has become a regular part of people's lives. The resulting diseases such as lumbar disc protrusion, lumbar strain, and scoliosis increase yearly. The age of patients is also showing a trend of low generation. At the same time, the elderly and pregnant women occupy a large proportion of them. Most of the products on the market for lumbar problems are still lumbar massagers, lumbar pillows, and other products used to relieve lumbar pain. They still do not solve the inconvenience of daily life caused by lumbar diseases. In response to the problems mentioned earlier, the sit-up booster can provide adequate assistance to patients as an additional indoor product. Through external support and the appropriate amount of external force to give users a certain amount of support in the process of rising and setting, to reduce the discomfort in the process of rising and sitting.Methodology: As a product that improves the life of users and enhances the quality of life of users, it is necessary to follow the "people-oriented" design concept in the design and put the user experience in the first place. Therefore, we conducted market research and user research to analyze the existing products to discover their shortcomings. Then, through user interviews and user journeys, we summarized the problems in users' lives and the problems they encountered with existing products. Conclusion and concluded the product design that derives elements that can improve user experience, designed questionnaires, and analyzed the results using the KANO model to derive the most real pain points of users.Result: According to the information obtained from the fuzzy front-end research, the design practice of the sit-up booster was carried out by continuously improving the details to make the connection between the user and the product closer. While solving the pain points, the product can be applied to more people, regardless of age, gender, and other restrictions.Conclusion: This design study addresses the growing number of people with back discomfort in today's society and finds that they need to improve and enhance their needs in life. The design of a sit-up booster emerges as a general trend. Use the KANO model to analyze the preliminary research results and get the critical needs of users for the product. According to the user's requirements for different functions, the user's needs are ranked, and then the aspects that need to be considered a priority, and the booster is designed for these aspects. It provides a direction for the future design of the sit-up booster.
Lan Xia, Deqiang Sun, Ming Yan
Open Access
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Playful Approach Methods for Children with Special Educational Needs based on Interactive Connected Devices
Children who have some kind of disability or learning problem usually require more time and different methods in the process of acquiring new knowledge and skills compared to children who has any condition. The playful approach has been a consistent way to address these special educational needs, often with the use of tools such as toys, interfaces or devices in order to adapt or assist their learning process. The evolution of these educational tools has been noticeable especially in recent years with the addition of latest advancements in technology providing very helpful resources for both students and teachers, a new paradigm has appeared and has opened a lot of possibilities. A key point is the data acquiring and processing to monitor and adapt the path of the learning progress. This study presents the state of the art of the methods used to implement the playful approach with interactive connected devices.
David Moscoso - Montenegro, Luis Serpa-Andrade
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Conference Proceedings
Design Research on Outdoor Fitness Equipment for Cognitive Exercise
Medical treatment for cognitive disease leaves much to be desired, it is necessary to nudge the wide elderly to join cognitive exercise in their daily life. Though the existing cognitive-related designs mostly following the principles of cognitive training, it may be more benefits of the elderly to exercise their cognitive functions of the principle of multi-mode exercise. Outdoor fitness equipment(OFE) includes equipment for different exercise type and is popular with the elderly. Elderly people do exercise to keep their physical health, but little attention is paid to their cognitive health. Research were mainly made from five exercise dimensions on the OFE use of the elderly: Frequency, Intensity, Type, Time(FITT) and Fun, and then suggestion has been given from the layout planning, visual communication and interaction mode of the OFE to nudge better cognitive exercise effect.
Xiying Xu, Dingbang Luh
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
A DEMATEL Approach to Exploring Influencing Factors of the Elderly Satisfaction with Park Fitness Facilities
Healthy aging has risen to the strategic level of the government, and the fitness activities of the elderly has been widely valued by the public sector. Parks are the main places for the elderly to exercise, and the elderly satisfaction with park fitness facilities is regarded as an important topic. Based on Maslow's hierarchy theory of needs and previous research results, this paper conducted interviews with the elderly, and further determined 12 key factors affecting the elderly satisfaction with park fitness facilities. This study uses the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method to conduct an empirical analysis of 12 influencing factors. According to the results of the data analysis, mental relaxation and social entertainment are the two most influential factors among 12 influencing factors. These two factors are located in the upper level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, which indicates that the basic needs of the elderly for park fitness facilities have been met, and the basic fitness needs are not the main consideration of the elderly for their satisfaction. Through the analysis of experimental results, three strategies were proposed: (1)Space Design needs to be taken seriously, so that functional space division and soft partitions are necessary; (2)Park fitness facility adopts the concept of service design, which allows the elderly to have a higher level of satisfaction through a process-oriented experience; (3)The body size of the elderly needs to be taken into account in the design phase of the park fitness facilities.
Yahui Wang, Chunrong Liu
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Design of a Help-Seeking Companion Robot for Elderly People Living Alone
In recent years, the degree of aging on a global scale has intensified, and at the same time, “living alone” has become the norm for older people. Elderly people living alone not only have their children away from home, but they are also widowed. They are a more vulnerable group than the empty-nest elders. They often face triple barriers of physical, psychological and cognitive impairment, and are therefore often trapped in a difficult and lonely life. Therefore, in order to meet the needs of elderly people living alone to communicate with others and eager to solve life problems, this design hopes to build a small help-seeking companion robot based on the principles of emotional design and to dig deeper into the user’s spiritual satisfaction and emotional resonance. This design uses literature Data search method, network survey method, questionnaire interview method, market research method have conducted an in-depth understanding of the elderly living alone, companion robots, youth groups, etc., and determined the product positioning, use process, styling design and APP UI design.This design includes a robot end for the elderly living alone and an APP end for the youth group. The robot end mainly uses voice interaction to reduce the difficulty of using intelligent search and help the elderly in social activities, and to build a new form of communication between the elderly living alone and the elderly living alone, and between the elderly living alone and the youth group. The project is designed to meet the practical and spiritual needs of the elderly living alone, thus enhancing social stability and spiritual civilisation.
Luyu Wang, Ying Huang, Xin He
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Mental Fog and Ergonomics: Approaches and Interactions
The work initially presents a conceptual approach on Mental Fog, Menopause, Cognition and Work and makes a correlation between their necessary interactions. From this point of view, it is demonstrated the little emphasis that has been given to the subject when addressing the health of working women in menopause in the field of Ergonomics. Many women report forgetfulness events at this time of life that hinder their quality of life and their work performance. Sometimes this forgetfulness has been associated with neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's and in times of a pandemic the mental fog has been reported as a residual effect of Covid-19, but few doctors consider the association of these events with the so-called "mental fog" typical of the drop in estrogen in the female body during menopause. The research, of exploratory nature, sought to analyze through a bibliometric study in renowned databases, approaches or lack of them in scientific articles that consider mental fog as an important factor to be addressed in the scope of Ergonomics. Seven articles from a total of 38 retrieved documents were analyzed. The results point to a significant gap in the proposed theme.
Sandra Sueli Vieira Mallin
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Promoting Physical Activity for Elderly People with Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR)
Physical and social activities should be included in an efficient e-coaching for older adults and immersive virtual reality (IVR) is efficient if behavioral changes are transferred to the real physical world. In an experiment con-ducted with 42 older adults (63-85 years-old), participants were asked to interact with a specific immersive virtual reality (IVR) daily for 4 months in their homes, at least 15 minutes per day. Results demonstrate several positive impacts related to the use of the IVR (decrease of weight, decrease of waist circumference, number of steps outside) even if the time spent to use this IVR system decreases. So the transfer from the IVR to the real world is very encouraging.
Jérôme Dinet, Rui Nouchi
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings