Wind of Change? Attitudes towards Aging and Use of Medical Technology

Shifts in demographic developments have led to changed needs and requirements in healthcare. Rising lifeexpectancy and improved medical healthcare enable a more independent and healthier lifestyle of (older) persons,but also changes expectations and perceptions of aging, and health-supporting technologies. Knowledgeabout attitudes towards aging, medical assistive technologies, and impacting user factors (especially age andhealth status) is limited with regard to a broad sample of participants. In the present study (N=585), we thereforeexamined in an online-survey current attitudes towards aging and quality of life in older age, as well asperceptions and acceptance of health-supporting technologies, taking age and health status as user factors intoaccount. Results revealed significant effects of age and health condition on the perception of life quality inolder age. In addition, positive perceptions of aging, technology acceptance, as well as benefits and barrierswere significantly influenced by the respondents’ age. In contrast, health status significantly affected the negativeperceptions of aging. Under impacts of age and health condition as user factors, results of the study allowa deeper understanding of changing patterns of perceived aging and prevailing opinions regarding acceptanceof medical technology.