Factors Affecting Universal Access to Smart Home Technologies Among Older Adults Living Alone: A Privacy–Safety Trade-Off Perspective

Background/Objectives: Smart home technologies can mitigate the safety risks faced by older adults living alone, yet adoption remains constrained by privacy concerns. Existing research has established that privacy apprehensions deter adoption, but the conditions under which this deterrent effect strengthens or weakens are poorly understood. Drawing on privacy calculus theory, this study examines how health status and children’s support moderate the negative relationship between privacy concerns and smart home adoption intention among solo-dwelling older adults. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 326 older adults living alone in three Chinese cities was analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Results: Privacy concerns suppressed adoption intention (β = −0.281, p < 0.001) while perceived safety benefits promoted it (β = 0.358, p < 0.001). Both moderation hypotheses were supported: the deterrent effect of privacy concerns was weaker among participants in poorer health (interaction β = −0.091, p = 0.039) and among those receiving stronger children’s support (interaction β = 0.137, p = 0.001), with the latter reducing the negative effect by approximately two-thirds. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that the privacy–safety trade-off is contingent rather than fixed and inform health-differentiated privacy design and family co-management strategies for more inclusive smart home adoption.