Supporting Effective Sharing of Health Information among Intergenerational Family Members

Family relationships are resources to foster healthy behaviors in family contexts. However, we have little understanding of ways to leverage intergenerational communication between elderly parents and adult children to improve family health and the roles technology plays in supporting this process. In this study, we examine how intergenerational family relationships and technology use influence health communication and collaboration among family members, from which we identify design opportunities to promote a culture of health within the family. We conducted 10 focus group interviews with independent living elderly parents (n = 12) and adult children (n = 25). We present different types of health information sharing and motivations to curate what health-related information to be shared. We also explore how family members deal with obstacles in health information sharing. Based on our findings, we suggest design implications to promote effective sharing, to support different types of sharing, and to enhance family sharing to build a culture of health within the family.