Research on requirements for smart home-based older adult(s) care service platforms based on the Kano model
- 1Nantong Institute of Technology
- 2University of Science and Technology Liaoning
Abstract
Objective: To address the supply–demand mismatch in smart home-based older adult(s) care platforms, overcome the limitations of static Kano classifications, and strengthen sample validity, this study aims to identify the authentic needs of older adults and multi-stakeholder groups.
Methods: Focusing on older adults aged 65 years and above with basic smartphone operational capacity, this study adopted an exploratory mixed-methods design integrating semi-structured interviews with family members and service personnel ( n = 8) and cross-sectional Kano-model questionnaires ( n = 506 valid responses from older adults). Sample stability was verified using Chapman-Callegaro criteria; reliability and validity were assessed via Cronbach’s α and the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test. Berger’s Better-Worse coefficients with Bootstrap 95% confidence intervals (1,000 resamples) were calculated for demand sensitivity grading. Stratified Pearson Chi-square ( χ ² ) tests were performed across subgroups defined by age, living arrangement (living alone versus co-living with caregivers), and educational level. Parallel simplified Kano questionnaires were distributed to family caregivers ( n = 58) and front-line service providers ( n = 41). Nineteen demand items categorized under User (U1–U8), Service (S1–S7), and Environment (E1–E4) dimensions were mapped onto functional, physical, and interaction domains to build a “Creation–Analysis–Application” design model, further validated through back-testing against four real-world deployed platforms.
Results: Across 19 demand items, 8 were classified as Must-be (M), 4 as One-dimensional (O), 5 as Attractive (A), and 2 as Indifferent (I). Social Entertainment (U6) shifted from Attractive (A) toward Indifferent (I) among the 80 + age group ( χ ² = 8.94, p < 0.05). Service Status Awareness (U8) was reclassified from One-dimensional (O) to Must-be (M) from the family caregiver perspective. Participants with primary-school education showed higher proportions of Indifferent judgements for complex digital-oriented demands; the 65–70-year-old cohort demonstrated greater prior exposure to digital devices compared with participants older than 70 years.
Conclusion: The improved Kano analytical framework incorporating age-stratified heterogeneity, multi-stakeholder perspectives, living-arrangement differences, and educational-level heterogeneity effectively remedies weaknesses of conventional static Kano classification. Findings provide empirical support for developing graded, user-group-oriented service packages instead of one-size-fits-all feature lists for smart home-based older adult(s)-care platforms.
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BibTeX
@article{xianheng2026research,
title = {{Research on requirements for smart home-based older adult(s) care service platforms based on the Kano model}},
author = {Zheng Xianheng and Wang Ling and Zhou Tao},
journal = {Frontiers in Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2026.1962040},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1962040/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Research on requirements for smart home-based older adult(s) care service platforms based on the Kano model
AU - Zheng Xianheng
AU - Wang Ling
AU - Zhou Tao
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/20
JO - Frontiers in Public Health
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1962040
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1962040/full
AB - Objective: To address the supply–demand mismatch in smart home-based older adult(s) care platforms, overcome the limitations of static Kano classifications, and strengthen sample validity, this study aims to identify the authentic needs of older adults and multi-stakeholder groups. Methods: Focusing on older adults aged 65 years and above with basic smartphone operational capacity, this study adopted an exploratory mixed-methods design integrating semi-structured interviews with family members and service personnel ( n = 8) and cross-sectional Kano-model questionnaires ( n = 506 valid responses from older adults). Sample stability was verified using Chapman-Callegaro criteria; reliability and validity were assessed via Cronbach’s α and the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test. Berger’s Better-Worse coefficients with Bootstrap 95% confidence intervals (1,000 resamples) were calculated for demand sensitivity grading. Stratified Pearson Chi-square ( χ ² ) tests were performed across subgroups defined by age, living arrangement (living alone versus co-living with caregivers), and educational level. Parallel simplified Kano questionnaires were distributed to family caregivers ( n = 58) and front-line service providers ( n = 41). Nineteen demand items categorized under User (U1–U8), Service (S1–S7), and Environment (E1–E4) dimensions were mapped onto functional, physical, and interaction domains to build a “Creation–Analysis–Application” design model, further validated through back-testing against four real-world deployed platforms. Results: Across 19 demand items, 8 were classified as Must-be (M), 4 as One-dimensional (O), 5 as Attractive (A), and 2 as Indifferent (I). Social Entertainment (U6) shifted from Attractive (A) toward Indifferent (I) among the 80 + age group ( χ ² = 8.94, p < 0.05). Service Status Awareness (U8) was reclassified from One-dimensional (O) to Must-be (M) from the family caregiver perspective. Participants with primary-school education showed higher proportions of Indifferent judgements for complex digital-oriented demands; the 65–70-year-old cohort demonstrated greater prior exposure to digital devices compared with participants older than 70 years. Conclusion: The improved Kano analytical framework incorporating age-stratified heterogeneity, multi-stakeholder perspectives, living-arrangement differences, and educational-level heterogeneity effectively remedies weaknesses of conventional static Kano classification. Findings provide empirical support for developing graded, user-group-oriented service packages instead of one-size-fits-all feature lists for smart home-based older adult(s)-care platforms.
SN - 2296-2565
ER -