1. How to prevent technological issues and maximise technologies acceptance by users before implementing large-scale pilots : pre-validation within the Horizon 2020 Pharaon projectIsabelle Lesterpt, Erika Rovini, Filippo Cavallo, Mateja Erce Paoli, Maria-Victoria Bueno-Delgado, Francisco José Melero Muñoz, Elisabete Pitarma, Femke Nijboer, Mariana Camacho, Ana Perandrés-Gòmez, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: Background In the context of an ageing population, technological and digital solutions are increasingly emerging in the market to facilitate active and healthy ageing. However, several factors can hinder the acceptance of the solutions by the users. Indeed, during the development of digital solutions, future users are generally involved only when a Large-Scale Pilot is set up. It implies around 1 year and more than 100 people involved and it costs money. Moreover, if technical problems appear during the using of the solutions, the acceptance of it is sub-optimal or even degraded. Methods This paper presents the pre-validation approach developed and executed within the Pharaon European project to pre-evaluate digital solutions before to put in place the planned Large-Scale Pilots (LSP). 1 This pre-validation was defined as a Small-Scale Pilot involving a minimum of 5 users per type (e.g. older adults, caregivers, health professional) during a short period of time (2-hour sessions with users). The process was composed of different steps: 1/ pre-validation of individual technologies; 2/ pre-validation of technologies integration in each pilot platform; 3/ pre-validation of new technologies coming from the Pharaon Open Call. Moreover, 2 types of pre-validation were conducted at the same time: 1/ technological; 2/ willingness to use the digital solutions. A common protocol was delivered to all pilot sites, 2 questionnaires were used for collecting quantitative and qualitative results and the open platform Gitlab was used to report the technical issues. Results The pre-validation was conducted over 6 months in 6 pilot sites with more than 200 users and allowed to highlight 109 technical issues and mixed results concerning the acceptance of using technologies. The qualitative part of the results allowed to notice the needed improvements before setting up the LSP.
Keywords: methodology, pre-validation, technologies users’ acceptance, pilots, older adults, active ageing, health
Published in RUP: 05.02.2026; Views: 108; Downloads: 2
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2. Identifying and evaluating factors influencing technology adoption : a multi-pilot study within the Pharaon projectJasmine Pani, Laura Fiorini, Erika Rovini, Francesco Giuliani, Letizia Lorusso, Sergio Russo, Adriano César do Nascimento Teixeira Fernandes, Ana Goreti de Oliveira, Elisabete Pitarma, Ângela Rodrigues, Mateja Erce Paoli, 2026, original scientific article Abstract: Introduction The global increase in the older adult population has amplified interest in supporting aging in place. Age-related physical and cognitive limitations pose significant challenges, for example managing daily tasks such as medication or household activities can become increasingly difficult. This also burdens informal caregivers with emotional stress, time demands and care coordination. Assistive technologies can enhance autonomy, social connection and health management, but their long-term adoption and use remain limited. Methods Within the Pharaon project, the study explored factors influencing technology use among older adults after 12 months of use. The research focused on the Italian pilot while integrating insights from other European sites. Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews were analyzed thematically and validated through reflection meetings and iterative online questionnaires. Recurring factors were consolidated, prioritized and mapped to explore interconnections affecting adoption. Results Initial findings revealed 30 factors, including personal characteristics, motivational aspects, technical design, social dynamics, and environmental context. These were rated by participating teams and 25 were retained for deeper analysis. An interconnection analysis explored how these factors influenced one another. Highly interconnected factors, such as social context, personalized training, ease of use, and cognitive changes, were central to understanding and improving technology adoption. In contrast, aspects like education level, internet access, and technical requirements appeared less interconnected, indicating more isolated effects. Discussion This multi-site, empirical investigation emphasizes the complex and interconnected nature of technology adoption among older adults. Our findings underscore the need for user-centered design, tailored training, and sensitivity to social context. Furthermore, the interactive mapping of interrelated factors provides a practical framework for developers and policymakers to target impactful interventions. To our knowledge, this is the first cross-pilot study to empirically define and score factors affecting older adults’ technology use based on multi-pilot data across Europe, offering valuable insights for long-term, meaningful engagement.
Keywords: older adults, technology usage, factors influencing technology use, user experience, assistive technology
Published in RUP: 05.02.2026; Views: 98; Downloads: 2
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3. Suicide-related mortality trends in Europe, 2012–2021Marco Zuin, Diego De Leo, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: Aims: Updated data regarding the suicide-related mortality trend in Europe remain scant. We assess the age- and sex-specific trends in suicide-related mortality in the European states (EU) between the years 2012 and 2021. Methods: We retrieved data on cause-specific deaths and population numbers by sex for European countries from the publicly available EUROSTAT mortality dataset for the years 2012–2021. This study was chosen because 2012 was the first year with complete uninterrupted suicide mortality data for all EU member states, while 2021 was the most recent year with confirmed estimates in the EUROSTAT database. Suicide-related deaths were identified using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision codes X60–X84 and Y870 as the underlying cause of death. We calculated annual trends by assessing the average annual percentage change (AAPC) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using joinpoint regression. Results: During the study period, there were 391,555 suicide-related deaths in Europe (313,835 men and 77,720 women). The age-adjusted mortality rate (AAMR) decreased linearly from 12.3 (95% CI: 12.0 to 12.6) per 100,000 people in 2012 to 10.2 (95% CI: 10.0 to 10.5) per 100,000 people in 2021 [AAPC: −2.3% (95% CI: −2.9 to −1.8); p < 0.001]. This decline was more pronounced among men [AAPC: −2.4% (95% CI: −2.9 to −2.0), p < 0.001] compared to women [AAPC: −1.9% (95% CI: −2.7 to −1.0), p < 0.001] (p for parallelism = 0.003). A more significant decrease was observed in individuals under 65 years compared to older individuals (p for parallelism = 0.001). Some EU subregions and demographic groups showed stagnation in suicide-related mortality rates. Conclusions: Over the past decade, age-adjusted suicide-related mortality has declined in Europe, particularly among males and individuals under 65 years old. However, disparities persist between countries and EU subregions.
Keywords: suicide, Europe, age, mortality rate, sex, older adults
Published in RUP: 18.12.2025; Views: 216; Downloads: 4
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4. Effectiveness of pilates exercise on quality of life in older adult women : a scoping reviewIva Weingerl, Žiga Kozinc, Dorjana Zerbo Šporin, 2025, review article Abstract: This scoping review investigates the effects of Pilates exercise interventions on health and quality of life of older adult women. Through a comprehensive examination of existing literature, this review identified key areas where Pilates has shown to significantly benefit physical capabilities such as strength, balance, and flexibility, alongside mental health improvements, including reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, and enhanced sleep quality. Thus, this scoping review emphasizes a possible role of Pilates in addressing age-related physical and psychosocial challenges, and suggests it as suitable low-impact exercise for promoting healthy aging. Despite the methodological heterogeneity among studies, the overall evidence suggests that Pilates may be a valuable component of geriatric healthcare strategies. The findings advocate for further research to expand the evidence and further guiding healthcare professionals in integrating Pilates into exercise prescriptions for older adult women.
Keywords: ageing, older adults, Pilates exercise, women’s health
Published in RUP: 30.06.2025; Views: 734; Downloads: 6
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5. User needs and perspectives on technologies or healthy ageingMateja Erce Paoli, Rok Ovsenik, Dean Lipovac, Michael David Burnard, 2021, published scientific conference contribution abstract Keywords: older adults, building solutions, technology acceptance, well-being, independence
Published in RUP: 24.06.2021; Views: 2829; Downloads: 61
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6. COVID-19 : the implications for suicide in older adultsAnne Pamela Frances Wand, Bao-Liang Zhong, Helen Fung Kum Chiu, Brian M. Draper, Diego De Leo, 2020, polemic, discussion, commentary Keywords: older adults, COVID-19, suicide, mental health
Published in RUP: 02.12.2020; Views: 5193; Downloads: 39
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9. Diagnostic balance tests for assessing risk of falls and distinguishing older adult fallers and non-fallers : a systematic review with meta-analysisŽiga Kozinc, Stefan Loefler, Christian Hofer, Ugo Carraro, Nejc Šarabon, 2020, review article Abstract: : Falls are a major cause of injury and morbidity in older adults. To reduce the incidence of falls, a systematic assessment of the risk of falling is of paramount importance. The purpose of this systematic review was to provide a comprehensive comparison of the diagnostic balance tests used to predict falls and for distinguishing older adults with and without a history of falls. We conducted a systematic review of the studies in which instrumented (force plate body sway assessment) or other non-instrumented balance tests were used. We analyzed the data from 19 prospective and 48 retrospective/case-control studies. Among the non-instrumented tests, the single-leg stance test appears to be the most promising for discrimination between fallers and non-fallers. In terms of body sway measures, the center-of-pressure area was most consistently associated with falls. No evidence was found for increased benefit of the body sway test when cognitive tasks were added, or the vision was eliminated. While our analyses are limited due to the unbalanced representation of different test and outcome measures across studies, we can recommend the single-leg test for the assessment of the risk of falling, and the measurements of body sway for a more comprehensive assessment.
Keywords: older adults, falls, fall history, body sway, functional reach, single-leg test, Romberg test
Published in RUP: 10.09.2020; Views: 4360; Downloads: 79
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