There is growing evidence of the benefits of computers for older adults. Yet, adoption rates are lower compared with younger adults. Extant theoretical models of technology acceptance are limited in their application to older adults-studies on which these models are based included a limited sample of older adults or none at all; none assessed use of a technology specifically designed for older adults; and most only measured intention to use a technology or short-term use, rather than longer-term use (i.e., adoption). We assessed adoption of a computer system specifically designed for older users, for a diverse sample, over an extended period of time. We analyzed archival data from 150 ethnically diverse older adults (65-98 years of age) who participated in the Personal Reminder Information and Social Management (PRISM) randomized controlled trial (Czaja SJ, Boot WR, Charness N, Rogers WA, Sharit J, Fisk AD,…Nair SN. The personalized reminder information and social management system (PRISM) trial: Rationale, methods and baseline characteristics. Contemp Clin Trials. 2015;40:35-46; Czaja SJ, Boot WR, Charness N, Rogers WA, Sharit J. Improving social support for older adults through technology: Findings from the PRISM randomized controlled trial. Gerontologist. 2017;58:467-477). We examined the extent to which attitudes, personal characteristics (e.g., age, gender, and personality), and cognitive abilities predicted mid-term and long-term adoption of a computer system designed for older adults. There were individual differences in PRISM use over time. Regression analyses indicated that individual differences in earlier use of the system, executive functioning, and computer efficacy predicted long-term use. These data provide insights for broader-based models of technology acceptance to guide design, instruction, and deployment of products for older adults. Specifically, the provision of opportunities to foster efficacy and gain positive experience with computer technologies may play a critical role in the likelihood that older adults adopt such technologies. NCT01497613.

The subjective nature of self-reported dietary intake assessment methods presents numerous challenges to obtaining accurate dietary intake and nutritional status. This limitation can be overcome by the use of dietary biomarkers, which are able to objectively assess dietary consumption (or exposure) without the bias of self-reported dietary intake errors. The need for dietary biomarkers was addressed by the Institute of Medicine, who recognized the lack of nutritional biomarkers as a knowledge gap requiring future research. The purpose of this article is to review existing literature on currently available dietary biomarkers, including novel biomarkers of specific foods and dietary components, and assess the validity, reliability and sensitivity of the markers. This review revealed several biomarkers in need of additional validation research; research is also needed to produce sensitive, specific, cost-effective and noninvasive dietary biomarkers. The emerging field of metabolomics may help to advance the development of food/nutrient biomarkers, yet advances in food metabolome databases are needed. The availability of biomarkers that estimate intake of specific foods and dietary components could greatly enhance nutritional research targeting compliance to national recommendations as well as direct associations with disease outcomes. More research is necessary to refine existing biomarkers by accounting for confounding factors, to establish new indicators of specific food intake, and to develop techniques that are cost-effective, noninvasive, rapid and accurate measures of nutritional status.

Water consumption acutely reduces meal energy intake (EI) among middle‐aged and older adults. Our objectives were to determine if premeal water consumption facilitates weight loss among overweight/obese middle‐aged and older adults, and to determine if the ability of premeal water consumption to reduce meal EI is sustained after a 12‐week period of increased water consumption. Adults (n = 48; 55–75 years, BMI 25–40 kg/m²) were assigned to one of two groups: (i) hypocaloric diet + 500 ml water prior to each daily meal (water group), or (ii) hypocaloric diet alone (nonwater group). At baseline and week 12, each participant underwent two ad libitum test meals: (i) no preload (NP), and (ii) 500 ml water preload (WP). Meal EI was assessed at each test meal and body weight was assessed weekly for 12 weeks. Weight loss was ∼2 kg greater in the water group than in the nonwater group, and the water group (β = −0.87, P < 0.001) showed a 44% greater decline in weight over the 12 weeks than the nonwater group (β = −0.60, P < 0.001). Test meal EI was lower in the WP than NP condition at baseline, but not at week 12 (baseline: WP 498 ± 25 kcal, NP 541 ± 27 kcal, P = 0.009; 12‐week: WP 480 ± 25 kcal, NP 506 ± 25 kcal, P = 0.069). Thus, when combined with a hypocaloric diet, consuming 500 ml water prior to each main meal leads to greater weight loss than a hypocaloric diet alone in middle‐aged and older adults. This may be due in part to an acute reduction in meal EI following water ingestion.