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Exploring why engagement falls short is essential for improving involvement in technology-supported ageing initiatives.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      This paper reports findings from a qualitative study exploring barriers to participation in a digital health research project involving older adults. The qualitative work included a workshop with recruitment staff (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u20094), and discussions with key gatekeepers \u2014 community organisation leads (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u20094) and carers of older adults (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u20092). Data were analysed using a Framework-guided approach. The qualitative component was embedded within a feasibility study designed to examine a smart-meter mobile application intended to monitor everyday electricity-use patterns among housebound adults aged\u2009\u2265\u200965, with the aim of detecting shifts in daily routines that may signal changes in health. Recruitment took place across the East Midlands between 2021 and 2022, during a period shaped by COVID-19 recovery and the national cost-of-living crisis, but yielded minimal uptake and did not proceed to data collection.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Analysis of the qualitative data identified four interrelated influences shaping decisions not to participate: misunderstandings about the purpose and function of the technology; heightened mistrust and privacy concerns in the context of rising energy prices; limited motivation to engage in research alongside a desire to avoid being associated with \u201cfrailty\u201d; and the broader environment of pandemic fatigue and increased exposure to technology-related scams. Some older adults expressed concerns that their energy data might be misused \u2014 for billing or by criminals \u2014 and several avoided telephone contact altogether, describing the phone as no longer a safe place.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Involving older adults in digital-health studies that draw on domestic energy data must account for the broader social and economic environment. Financial strain, digital fraud, and pandemic-related mistrust all influenced disengagement. Early community involvement, co-design, and opportunities to discuss or engage directly with the technology may support more confident and informed participation in future research.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1186\/s12877-026-07665-7","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,28]],"date-time":"2026-05-28T11:37:26Z","timestamp":1779968246000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["\u2018It felt like surveillance, not support\u2019: understanding barriers to enrolling older adults in an energy-linked digital health study during pandemic recovery and the cost-of-living crisis"],"prefix":"10.1186","volume":"26","author":[{"given":"Bertha","family":"Ochieng","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Victoria","family":"Hall","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rebecca","family":"Ochieng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jane","family":"Amedzro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Richard","family":"Wong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"7665_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Smith L, Simpson G, Holt S, Dambha-Miller H. 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