TY - JOUR AU - Huisingh-Scheetz, Megan AU - Nicholson III, Roscoe F AU - Shervani, Saira AU - Smith, Chelsea AU - Danilovich, Margaret AU - Finch, Laura AU - Montoya, Yadira AU - Hawkley, Louise C PY - 2024 DA - 2024/9/12 TI - A Voice-Activated Device Exercise and Social Engagement Program for Older Adult–Care Partner Dyads: Pilot Clinical Trial and Focus Group Study Evaluating the Feasibility, Use, and Estimated Functional Impact of EngAGE JO - JMIR Aging SP - e56502 VL - 7 KW - voice-activated device KW - voice-activated devices KW - frailty KW - frail KW - weak KW - weakness KW - technology KW - activity KW - physical activity KW - exercise KW - exercising KW - caregiver KW - caregivers KW - caregiving KW - caretaker KW - caretakers KW - caretaking KW - care-giver KW - care-givers KW - care-giving KW - care-taker KW - care-takers KW - care-taking KW - gerontology KW - geriatric KW - geriatrics KW - older adult KW - older adults KW - elder KW - elderly KW - older person KW - older people KW - ageing KW - aging KW - voice activation KW - digital health KW - exercises KW - online exercises KW - participatory design KW - new devices KW - health devices KW - technology development KW - mobile phone AB - Background: Maintaining exercise is essential for healthy aging but difficult to sustain. EngAGE is a socially motivated exercise program delivered over a voice-activated device that targets older adult–care partner dyads. Objective: This 10-week pilot study aimed to assess EngAGE feasibility and use, obtain user experience feedback, and estimate potential impact on function. Methods: In total, 10 older adults aged ≥65 years were recruited from an independent living residence together with their self-identified care partners. EngAGE delivered National Institute on Aging Go4Life exercises to older adults daily, while care partners received progress reports and prompts to send encouraging messages that were read aloud by the device to the older adult. Older adults’ use was tracked, and physical function was assessed at baseline and follow-up. Follow-up focus group data provided qualitative feedback. Results: On average, participants completed 393.7 individual exercises over the 10-week intervention period or 39.4 exercises/wk (range 48-492, median 431, IQR 384-481, SD 112.4) without injury and used EngAGE on an average of 41 of 70 days or 4.1 d/wk (range 7-66, median 51, IQR 23-56, and SD 21.2 days). Mean grip strength increased nonsignificantly by 1.3 kg (preintervention mean 26.3 kg, SD 11.0; postintervention mean 27.6 kg, SD 11.6; P=.34), and 4 of 10 participants improved by a minimal clinically important difference (MCID) of 2.5 kg. Further, the time for 5-repeated chair stands significantly reduced by 2.3 seconds (preintervention mean 12, SD 3.6 s; postintervention mean 9.7, SD 2.7 s; P=.02), and 3 of 9 participants improved by an MCID of –2.3 seconds. Furthermore, 3-meter usual walk performance was brisk at baseline (mean 2.1, SD 0.4 s) and decreased by 0.1 seconds (postintervention 2, SD 0.4 s; P=.13), although 5 of 9 participants improved by a MCID of 0.05 m/s. Qualitative results showed perceived benefits, favored program features, and areas for improvement. Conclusions: We present a pilot study of a new voice-activated device application customized to older adult users that may serve as a guide to other technology development for older adults. Our pilot study served to further refine the application and to inform a larger trial testing EngAGE’s impact on functional outcomes, a necessary step for developing evidence-based technology tools. SN - 2561-7605 UR - https://aging.jmir.org/2024/1/e56502 UR - https://doi.org/10.2196/56502 DO - 10.2196/56502 ID - info:doi/10.2196/56502 ER -