Experiences With Technology Among Adults Aging With HIV Engaged in an Online Community-Based Exercise Intervention Study: Longitudinal Qualitative Descriptive Study and Secondary Data Analysis.
Julia Mucha, Rana Hamdy, Melina Marini and 5 others
Eleven adults aging with HIV in an online exercise program found Zoom the easiest tool to sustain, while the Fitbit and the YMCA app generated growing frustration.
Initial comfort with technology did not predict who would keep using it.
Key findings
1Initial attitudes toward technology did not predict sustained engagement. Some participants developed growing frustration and fatigue around repetitive tasks like syncing the Fitbit, while others grew more comfortable and expressed intent to keep using the tools after the study ended.
2Zoom was the most consistently used and well-received platform, valued for convenience and real-time interaction with the trainer. The Fitbit and the Sweat for Good YMCA app generated more variable experiences, with some participants reporting frustration from syncing requirements, perceived inaccurate step counts, and difficulty navigating the app to find exercises matching their level.
3Navigating multiple technology platforms simultaneously posed a greater barrier to sustained use than basic digital skills. All 11 participants reported comfort with each individual tool at baseline, yet 6 of 11 (66%) who had prior wearable experience still struggled with sustained Fitbit use, and the Sweat for Good YMCA app saw inconsistent engagement.
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What it does not show
Fixed sample of 11 drawn from the parent study; the authors state that reaching thematic saturation was not a goal. Interviews were not solely focused on technology, so the depth of technology-specific data was limited. Not all participants completed both interview time points or the month-6 questionnaire, limiting the ability to track change over time. All participants were in Toronto, a large urban centre with strong digital infrastructure, and were required to already own a computer, webcam, and reliable internet before being eligible. Findings may not transfer to rural or lower-resource settings. The sample was 55% women and 55% Black, and the authors note that sex and gender differences in technology experiences were not examined.
Declared interests
Funded by the Ontario HIV Treatment Network HIV Endgame Funding Program (grant EFP-1121-BNG). The study is a substudy of the Ontario HIV Treatment Network Cohort Study. One author (KKO) holds a Canada Research Chair in Episodic Disability and Rehabilitation. No conflicts of interest were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that the online exercise program improved fitness, strength, or quality of life in adults with HIV. This is a qualitative study of 11 people's experiences with the technology used to deliver the program, not a trial of the program's effects. All 11 were required to already own a computer, webcam, and reliable internet before being eligible, so the findings say nothing about people who lack those resources.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →