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. 2025 Jun 21;25(1):426.
doi: 10.1186/s12877-025-06100-7.

Older persons' experiences with wearable sensor-based fall risk screening in free-living conditions - a qualitative study

Madelene Törnblom  1 , Kari Rönkkö  2 , Kerstin Ådahl  2 , Staffan Karlsson  3   4 , Ulrika Olsson Möller  3   5   6 , Anna Nivestam  3
Affiliations

Older persons' experiences with wearable sensor-based fall risk screening in free-living conditions - a qualitative study

Madelene Törnblom et al. BMC Geriatr. .

Abstract

Background: Falls are common among older persons and can have a major impact on their lives. Wearable sensors used in free-living conditions (moving naturally in one's daily living environment) can be used to predict falls and fall risks. To understand if using the wearable sensors is an acceptable way for older persons to be screened for fall risks, it is important to have knowledge of older persons' experiences using wearable sensor-based technologies for fall risk assessment in free-living conditions Therefore, this study aimed to describe older persons' experiences of using such technology.

Methods: A qualitative study using individual interviews was conducted with 21 community-dwelling older persons (aged 77-81) in Sweden between April and September 2024. The older persons wore a thigh-mounted wearable sensor for one week to screen for fall risks in free-living conditions. Interviews were conducted 9-89 days (median 15 days) after sensor use and were analysed using conventional qualitative content analysis.

Results: Older persons' experiences with wearable sensor-based fall risk screening were described using the overarching theme 'Being an older person in a fall screening process' containing five categories: 'Seeing a need for a fall risk sensor but imagining it as an unattainable ideal', 'Utilising a wearable sensor can be uncomplicated and fun', 'Having worries and experiencing problems', 'Thinking about what the wearable sensor has registered about me', and 'Reflecting on how I can benefit from the screening'.

Conclusions: The older persons had various experiences with the wearable sensor-based screening for fall risks in free-living conditions. The wearable sensor was easy to use, although problems could occur while wearing it, such as losing the sensor or developing skin problems. The older persons wanted to benefit from the screening and improve their health based on the results. Further research could focus on the accuracy of fall predictors used in free-living conditions for assessing fall risks in older persons, since the wearable sensor was perceived as acceptable to use.

Keywords: Aged; Balance; Community-dwelling; Fall risk assessment; Falls; Interviews; Person-centredness; Physical activity; Preventive home visits; Sensor; Technology.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study was conducted according to the Declaration of Helsinki. The study was approved by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority, reference number 2023-03425-01. Before the interview, both verbal and written information was given to the older persons, and they signed a written consent to participate. Clinical trial number: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The wearable sensor, Snubblometer® [23] (with permission from J. Källmén, Infonomy AB, Lund, Sweden)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The overarching theme and five categories representing older persons’ experiences with wearable sensor-based fall risk screening in free-living conditions
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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