Business Administration / Διοίκηση Επιχειρήσεων (Μ.Β.Α)

Background: Nowadays, ageing represents a great societal challenge. Worldwide, there is a need of the elderly to be more active by adopting a healthier lifestyle in order to be more independent. Physical activity including walking is extremely beneficial for health. Walking is a cost-effective and an easy way to improve the health of elderly people. Studies have also shown the social capital gains from walking. Walking can increase social capital levels amongst those who walk together by increased social engagement. By interacting with others, connectedness, a higher sense of belonging, greater acceptance of others and stronger ties between people are promoted. It seems that the use of applications is one of the most effective ways for any business to reach consumers and gain their trust. This is because you can get in touch with the consumer anytime, anywhere. The aims of the study were to collect data concerning the needs that an online application should address in order to motivate elderly or potentially elderly for active mobility, to study the characteristics of an application that would promote elderly active mobility, to study if elderly or potential elderly are informed about the benefits of active mobility and walking, to collect data concerning the opinion of elderly or potential elderly about the characteristics that state policies should include in order to promote elderly or potential elderly for active mobility and walking, and to study if the respondents are willing to buy an application that would promote active mobility. Methods: A cross‐sectional anonymous online survey was conducted among elderly and potential elderly people. An original self‐administered questionnaire was developed. Summary statistics were used to describe demographic characteristics of the sample (gender, age, family status and internet skills). Crosstabs with chi square tests were used to examine the distribution of levels of agreement with the proposed app features as well as levels of recommended active aging state policies across gender and age. Results: We did not observe a statistically significant correlation between high levels of agreement with the proposed app features and internet skills. Overall creating more parks was the most observed recommended state policy across genders and age categories. In addition, willingness to buy the app was weakly associated with lower age category and higher internet skills. Further, willingness to recommend the application was weakly associated with lower age category and higher internet skills. Willingness to buy the smartphone application and willingness to recommend the application had a large positive correlation. Finally, participants in general disagreed regarding the existing infrastructures promote elderly walking activities (43%), the existing sidewalks promote elderly walking (38.3%) the safety of the existing infrastructures (45.8%). Discussion: A smartphone application that would promote active aging seems to interest elderly and potential elderly age population. Internet skills and age seem to be correlated with the wellness to promote an to buy the application. State policies should include strategies which would promote active aging and physical activity. Further research is needed for the characteristics of an active aging smart phone application in order to safely promote active aging and physical activity.