Elderly consumers' reaction to an eHealth app: The critical role of relational-emotional aspects of technology adoption

Given the aging population and the exponential growth in digital health, investigating elderly consumers' eHealth technology adoption is an important and timely topic. This research examines the relational-emotional aspects of technology adoption among the elderly using a real-world eHealth app aimed at addressing malnutrition – a critical health issue among the elderly population. Results from two studies highlight the important roles of the perceived effect of the eHealth app on caretaker relationships and anticipated positive emotions in elderly's adoption of the eHealth app. Further, we show that anthropomorphizing the eHealth app could backfire among elderly consumers with low health literacy, but not among those with high health literacy. By identifying and validating relational and emotional pathways to adoption, our study deepens and extends current models of technology acceptance. It also contributes to the growing discourse on inclusive digital health by highlighting the unique complexity of elderly consumers' decision-making processes.