Design Preferences, Routines, and Well-Being of Older Adults Using Voice-Guided Digital Mindfulness: Qualitative Interview Study.
Lucy McCarren, Sanna Kuoppamäki
JMIR human factors June 3, 2025 DOI: 10.2196/67533 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative interview study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 15 |
| Population | Older adults in Sweden who used a voice-guided mindfulness app for 3 weeks |
| Intervention | voice-guided mindfulness app |
| Duration | 3-week period |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Digital mindfulness Mhealth Mindfulness app Mindfulness-based interventions Mobile health Older adults Qualitative study |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key findings | Digital mindfulness offers a possibility to enhance the self-perceived well-being of older adults by fostering resilience and self-care, but adverse effects such as frustration and discomfort can also occur, and experiences and design preferences are highly individual. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-based interventions have been demonstrated to be effective in improving bodily and emotional well-being. However, only a few studies have explored individual differences in the application and use of digital mindfulness among adults aged ≥65 years. Voice-guided mindfulness technologies can increase the accessibility of mindfulness training, but the expected benefits may not be similar in all user groups. This study aims to understand how older adults incorporate mindfulness into their habits and routines, explore the digital mindfulness design preferences of older adults, and understand if and how digital mindfulness can facilitate self-perceived well-being among older adults. A qualitative interview study built on an interpretive-constructivist paradigm was conducted among older adults in Sweden who used a voice-guided mindfulness app for a 3-week period in their homes (N=15). Semistructured interviews were conducted one-on-one with participants after using the app. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to explore the lived experiences of digital mindfulness, as articulated by participants, which allowed an open exploration of the subjective experiences of digital mindfulness and their possible effects and outcomes. From the coding stage, 23 codes describing the digital mindfulness experience were identified from the data. These codes were thematized to group the codes together, resulting in 7 subthemes. From these 7 subthemes, three main themes were formed to answer the research objectives: (1) the embeddedness of digital mindfulness in older adults' daily routines and habits, (2) heterogeneity in older adults' design preferences for digital mindfulness, and (3) the consequences of digital mindfulness on the self-perceived well-being of older adults. This study concludes that digital mindfulness offers a possibility to enhance the self-perceived well-being of older adults by fostering resilience and self-care. However, adverse effects of mindfulness, such as frustration and discomfort, can also be experienced by older adults. The digital mindfulness experiences and preferences of older adults are highly individual, diverse, and manifold, which indicates that personalized approaches are essential for effective engagement. By acknowledging and addressing the heterogeneous design preferences within this demographic, developers can create more personalized and adaptive voice-guided mindfulness apps.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Digital Asceticism and Transcendent Aging: Reframing late Life through Monastic Wisdom and Humanistic Psychology. Journal of Religion and Health July 31, 2026
- Using a Digital-Based Mindfulness Curriculum to Enhance Healthy Aging Outcomes in Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Taiwan: Mixed Methods Feasibility Study. JMIR human factors May 13, 2026
- Exploring the Design of a LLM-Based AI Assistant for Mindfulness Practice With Older Adults International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems April 13, 2026
- Evaluating the Digital Delivery of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Interventions for Elderly Mental Health: An Experimental Study Research Square January 19, 2026
Cites 29
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Assessment February 29, 2008
- Mindfulness-based interventions: an overall review British Medical Bulletin April 21, 2021
- Prevalence of meditation-related adverse effects in a population-based sample in the United States Psychotherapy Research June 2, 2021
- A Framework for the Empirical Investigation of Mindfulness Meditative Development Mindfulness April 13, 2023
and 24 more in the library