Associations Between Mobile Health Technology use and Self-rated Quality of Life: A Cross-sectional Study on Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment

Abstract

Background: Quality of life (QoL) is affected even at early stages in older adults with cognitive impairment. The use of mobile health (mHealth) technology can offer support in daily life and improve the physical and mental health of older adults. However, a clarification of how mHealth technology can be used to support the QoL of older adults with cognitive impairment is needed. Objective: To investigate factors affecting mHealth technology use in relation to self-rated QoL among older adults with cognitive impairment. Methods: A cross-sectional research design was used to analyse mHealth technology use and QoL in 1,082 older participants. Baseline data were used from a multi-centered randomized controlled trial including QoL, measured by the Quality of Life in Alzheimer’s Disease (QoL-AD) Scale, as the outcome variable. Data were analyzed using logistic regression models. Results: Having moderately or high technical skills in using mHealth technology and using the internet via mHealth technology on a daily or weekly basis was associated with good to excellent QoL in older adults with cognitive impairment. Conclusions: The variation in technical skills and internet use among the participants can be interpreted as an obstacle for mHealth technology to support QoL.

A randomized controlled trial of an mHealth application with nursing interaction to promote quality of life among community-dwelling older adults

“…Despite the improvement in self-efficacy, Fanning et al ( 44 ) did not observe any meaningful improvement in the quality of life of the older adults despite the comprehensive mHealth app that was implemented. Conversely, Christiansen et al ( 45 ) observed improved quality of life following the implementation of a mHealth app for older adults with mild cognitive impairment noting that having moderately or high technical skills in using mHealth technology and using the internet via mHealth technology on a daily or weekly basis was associated with good to excellent QoL. Despite the mixed findings, these studies did not examine the sustained effects of the mHealth apps beyond the intervention duration which makes it rather difficult to draw stronger conclusions in relation to the current study.…”

Allicin, an Antioxidant and Neuroprotective Agent, Ameliorates Cognitive Impairment

“…Some other neuropathological conditions can also be represented by cognitive impairment such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) [ 165 , 166 , 167 ], and attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) [ 168 , 169 ]. The cases of cognitive impairments result in the lower quality of life among the suffering individuals, increase social and economic burden to the society in general and to the families of patients in particular [ 170 , 171 , 172 , 173 , 174 ]. Imbalanced levels of neurotransmitters such as glutamate, dopamine, acetylcholine, and GABA are linked with cognitive impairments [ 175 ].…”