Family’s health: Opportunities for non-collocated intergenerational families collaboration on healthy living

When a family is engaged in healthy living practices together, it enhances the quality of life for all individuals. However, when members in families are separated over distance, the everyday encouragement and support may shift and obstacles arise within the family. In this study, we investigate non-collocated family members’ practices of healthy living, their perspectives on their family’s healthy living activities, and what obstacles exist regarding collaboration on their family health. We conducted an interview study with 26 independently living participants representing “elderly parents” and “adult children” in a family dynamic. We present members’ practices and strategies for sustainable healthy living activities. We also explore members’ creative use of technology for health promotion and describe existing obstacles that prevent families to effectively collaborate in healthy living. Based on our findings, we suggest design implications to support family members living apart on their efforts to cultivate health within their families

Working Together in a PhamilySpace: Facilitating Collaboration on Healthy Behaviors Over Distance

Studies have shown that interpersonal relationships such as families and friends are an important source of support and encouragement to those who seek to engage in healthier habits. However, challenges related to geographic distance may hinder those relationships from fully collaborating and engaging in healthy living together. To explore this domain, we developed and deployed a lightweight photo-based application called PhamilySpace with a week-long intervention. Our goal is to examine family members\u27 and friends\u27 engagement and awareness on healthy behaviors while living apart. Our analysis of the semi-structured interviews, pre/post-intervention instruments, and application logs suggests three main benefits of interventions for health promotion in this context: (1) increased awareness on acts of health; (2) reciprocal sharing of health information supports social accountability over distance; and (3) positive dialogue around health enhances support on healthy living. By providing insights into distributed family/friends interactions and experiences with the application, we identify benefits, challenges, and opportunities for future design interventions that promote healthy behaviors

Exploring photo sharing to engage intergenerational families on health

Sharing photos is a common practice for family members to inform and connect with each other. Sharing photos inspires recollection, reminiscence, and feelings of connectedness. Could it also be an effective channel for sharing health information and supporting healthy activity? In this paper, we examine how photo-sharing practices can help family members, specifically elderly parents and adult children, share health information. We present preliminary results from an interview study investigating photo-sharing benefits for non-collocated elderly parents and their adult children to encourage healthy lifestyles within the family. We discuss photo sharing as a viable strategy to engage family members in sharing health information