Digital technology acceptance among older adults: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses on theoretical perspectives, determinants, and evidence base.

PURPOSE: Digital and assistive technologies can support independence and ageing in place, yet their potential benefits remain constrained by challenges in acceptance and sustained engagement. This umbrella review examined the theoretical foundations of technology acceptance research among older adults, synthesised determinants associated with acceptance, and explored variations across technologies, populations, and implementation contexts.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Following PRIOR guidelines, six databases were systematically searched. Forty-eight systematic reviews encompassing 1,602 primary studies were included. Narrative synthesis, including framework-based mapping, integrated findings across reviews, while quantitative re-meta-analysis quantified the strength and consistency of associations where comparable estimates were available.

RESULTS

More than half of the included reviews lacked an explicit theoretical framework, while most others relied on TAM/UTAUT-based models. Fifty-nine determinants were identified across five domains: individual characteristics, technology attributes, environmental factors, social and cultural influences, and process-related attributes. Re-meta-analysis showed highly suggestive evidence for associations involving perceived usefulness, ease of use, facilitating conditions, social influence, and anxiety, although substantial heterogeneity was observed. Limited reporting of participant characteristics and implementation stages constrained subgroup comparisons. Reviews of AI-enabled technologies emphasised anthropomorphic and interactive features but gave comparatively limited attention to accessibility, contextual integration, and user diversity.

CONCLUSION

Technology acceptance in later life is dynamic and context-dependent, with current theoretical models and empirical evidence providing limited explanation of how acceptance develops and varies across users and implementation settings. Future research should move beyond accumulating determinants towards lifespan-informed approaches that explain the mechanisms through which acceptance develops and is sustained across diverse later-life contexts.