Self-reported Changes in Use of and Attitudes Toward ICT in Three Generations in Sweden During the Early Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Offerman J., Fristedt S., Schmidt S.M., Lofqvist C., Iwarsson S.

AbstractResearch is needed to understand attitudes toward and adoption of the broad range of technologies available to support active and healthy aging in different generations. The present article gives an overview of the GenerationTech survey and sample, and describes attitudes and acceptance related to technology in general and as a means to support active and healthy aging. A national survey was conducted with a random sample (n = 2,121) including men and women from three generations (30–39, 50–59 and 70–79-year-olds) in Sweden. The generations shared some attitudes toward and acceptance of technologies for active and healthy aging. However, what kind of technologies are preferred to support active and healthy aging and the reasons for using certain technologies differed by generation. The findings could help guide the development and implementation of technologies for active and healthy aging throughout the aging process.

Zingmark M., Nordeström F., Iwarsson S.

The aim is to describe and reflect upon potentially pandemic-related impact on self-assessments of active ageing. As part of the baseline data collection in the Prospective RELOC-AGE (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04765696) study, telephone interviews, including the University of Jyvaskyla Active Aging Scale (UJACAS) were conducted with 820 people 55 years or older listed with an interest of relocation at three housing companies in Sweden. Field notes alongside the interviews focused on two topics: (1) how respondents reasoned and replied to the questions included in the UJACAS; (2) whether there were specific items that seemed to be affected by the pandemic. For four items (Participating in events, Exercising, Maintaining friendships, Getting to know new people), recurrent comments indicated that respondents had been affected by the pandemic situation regarding one or more of the facets in UJACAS: will to act, ability to act, opportunity to act, or frequency or extent of doing the activity. Opportunities to act was most frequently commented on as a factor affected by restricted participation in activities. As Prospective RELOC-AGE is a longitudinal study focused on associations between housing, relocation and active ageing, it is imperative to consider the potential pandemic-related impact on baseline data in future analyses.

Horst B.R., Sixsmith A., Simeonov D., Mihailidis A.

The COVID-19 pandemic presents an unprecedented situation in which physical distancing and “stay at home” orders have increased the pressures for social isolation. Critically, certain demographic factors have been linked to increased feelings of isolation and loneliness. These at-risk groups for social isolation may be disproportionately affected by the changes and restrictions that have been implemented to prevent viral spread. In our analysis, we sought to evaluate if perceived feelings of social isolation, during the COVID-19 pandemic, was related to demographic and technology-related psychographic characteristics. Older adults across Canada were surveyed about their demographic background, their feelings concerning confidence and proficiency in technology use, and how frequently they have felt isolated during the pandemic. In total 927 responses from Canadians over 65 years old, of varying demographic characteristics were collected. Our data shows that many older adults are feeling isolated “Often” or “Some of the time” in 2020, regardless of most demographic factors that have been previously associated with increased isolation risk. However, feelings of proficiency in using technology was an important factor affecting feelings of isolation. Given that technology proficiency is a modifiable factor, and remained significant after adjustment for demographic factors, future efforts to reduce social isolation should consider training programs for older adults to improve technology confidence, especially in an increasingly digital world.

Fristedt S., Svärdh S., Löfqvist C., Schmidt S.M., Iwarsson S.

While a broad spectrum of technologies is integrated in everyday life and routines, most research on ageing, health and technology has focused on attitudes toward and adoption of digital technologies including e-health, or home based monitoring systems. The aim of this study was to explore differences and similarities in attitudes and experiences with different types of technologies and development within and between three generations. We applied a qualitative, descriptive design and recruited a purposeful sample of participants from three generations (30–39, 50–59, 70–79 year old). The 25 participants took part in 3 x 2 focus groups. Forming four categories, the findings show that technologies enable as well as complicate everyday life. Participants expressed trust as well as uncertainty about risks when using technology and stated that use of digital services is required while support is limited. They identified that technology development is inevitable but not always in the service of users. In conclusion, experiences of and attitudes towards technologies and technology development are not limited to generation; perspectives sometimes unite individuals across rather than within generations. Thus future technologies and technology development, as well as services and policies aiming to support the use of said technologies should consider individual user perspectives including needs, desires, beliefs or goals neglected in the existing technology models, and involve users beyond generations defined by chronological age. Such strategies are likely to be more successful in supporting development of technologies usable for all.

Llorente-Barroso C., Kolotouchkina O., Mañas-Viniegra L.

(1) Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been especially hard on the elderly owing to their particular vulnerability to the virus. Their confinement to prevent the spread of the virus resulted in social isolation, often linked to the unwanted loneliness that hinders their emotional well-being. The enabling capacity of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) to overcome the negative effects of this isolation requires special attention. The purpose of this research is to understand the impact of the use of ICT on the emotional well-being of elderly people during their confinement. (2) Methods: A qualitative exploration method based on four focus groups with elderly people aged 60 years or older and three in-depth personal interviews with experts in education of the elderly were carried out. (3) Results: Research results evidence a negative emotional impact of the confinement (lack of physical contact with their loved ones, fear and uncertainty, feeling of loneliness, sadness at the loss of family members) on the emotional well-being of study participants. Furthermore, the operational capacity of ICT to prevent infection, as well as their positive emotional and humanizing role in providing access to entertainment and hobbies, and in improving self-esteem was also acknowledged. (4) Conclusions: ICT have become a valuable ally for elderly people aged 60 years and older to mitigate the negative effects of social isolation and loneliness imposed by the confinement.

Sharit J., Moxley J.H., Czaja S.J.

Abstract Background and Objectives Delay discounting is a common behavioral phenomenon that can influence decision making. A person with a higher discounting rate (DR) will have a stronger preference for smaller, more immediate rewards over larger, delayed rewards than will a person with a lower DR. This study used a novel approach to investigate, among a diverse sample of older adults, discounting of the time people were willing to invest to acquire technology skills across various technologies. Research Design and Methods One hundred and eighty-seven male and female adults 65–92 years of age participated in the study and were given presentations on 5 different technologies spanning domains that included transportation, leisure, health, and new learning. A measure of discounting was computed based on participants’ assessments of how much additional time they would be willing to spend to acquire increased skill levels on each of the technologies and their ratings of importance of attaining those skill levels. Measures of participants’ perceived value of the technologies, technology readiness, and self-assessed cognitive abilities were also collected. Results The findings indicated a significant and robust effect of lower DRs with increasing age. Higher perceived value of the technologies and higher levels of positive technology readiness predicted willingness to invest more time to learn the technologies, whereas self-assessments of cognitive abilities predicted the levels of technology skills that participants desired on the 5 technologies. Discussion and Implications Our findings demonstrate that for realistic decision-making scenarios related to the acquisition of technology skills, DRs decrease with increasing age, even within an older adult cohort, and that discounting is related to the perceived value of the technology. The findings also have important implications for the design and marketing of technology products for older consumers.

Wallinheimo A., Evans S.L.

Concerns have been raised regarding middle-aged and older adults’ mental health during the coronavirus outbreak. The aim of the current study was to characterise associations between internet use (frequency and purpose), depression symptoms and Quality of Life (QoL) during the pandemic, in individuals aged 55–75. Data (N = 3491) were drawn from the English longitudinal study of ageing (ELSA) cohort study collected in June/July 2020 (while social distancing measures were in place). Associations with frequency of use were tested using analysis of covariance (ANCOVAS), controlling for covariates such as wealth and education. Type of internet use (for communication, information search) was also analysed amongst frequent users. Significant effects of frequency of use were observed (p = 0.01 for depression, p < 0.001 for QoL), with lower depression symptoms and higher QoL scores amongst more frequent users. Regarding purpose of use, those who reported using the internet for communication purposes had higher QoL. However, use for health-related or Government services information searching was associated with more depression symptoms. Results provide important information regarding the potential benefits of internet use for middle-aged and older people, suggesting that strategies to increase internet usage (particularly for communication) might benefit middle-aged and older adults’ mental health and counter isolation as the coronavirus crisis continues to evolve.

Viklund E.W., Nilsson I., Forsman A.K.

Aim: The aim was to explore the association between internet use, the use of specific internet-based activities and perceiving life as meaningful, among older adults in two regions in Finland and Sweden. Methods: The data was collected through a population-based survey ( N = 9386) as part of the GERDA project conducted in 2016. In order to analyse the associations between perceiving life as meaningful and internet use and related activities, odds ratios with a 95% confidence interval were calculated using binary logistic regression analysis, where socio-demographic factors and health status were controlled for. Results: Statistically significant associations were found between perceiving life as meaningful and internet use in later life. When looking further at the specific internet-based activities under study, activities related to leisure and entertainment showed a statistically significant connection to perceived meaningfulness in later life, after controlling for socio-demographic factors and health status. Conclusions: The results indicated that there was a statistically significant positive association between internet use and perceiving life as meaningful in later life. Online activities related to leisure and entertainment seem to be especially associated with perceived meaningfulness. Although causal direction could not be determined, the results suggest that internet use may support the experience of wellbeing in everyday life among older persons, through the unlimited access to interest-driven activities that it provides.

Beaunoyer E., Dupéré S., Guitton M.J.

With more than three billion people in isolation, the status of digital spaces is switching from an amenity to a necessity, as they become not only the main way to access information and services, but also one of the only remaining vectors for economic, educational, and leisure activities as well as for social interactions to take place. However, not all are equals in terms of access to networks or connected devices, or when it comes to the skills required to navigate computerized spaces optimally. Digital inequalities were already existing, yet the COVID-19 crisis is exacerbating them dramatically. On the one hand, the crisis will worsen digital inequalities within the population. On the other hand, digital inequalities represent a major risk factor of vulnerability for exposure to the virus itself, and for the non-sanitary consequences of the crisis. Therefore, this paper aims at exploring the reciprocal impacts of the COVID-19 crisis and digital inequalities, and to propose operative solutions to help fight the nefarious consequences of the crisis. We first describe how digital inequalities are a determinant of health. We then investigate how COVID-19 can potentiate digital inequalities, and how digital inequalities potentiate vulnerability to COVID-19. Finally, in order to contribute to the mitigation of this crisis, we propose a set of multi-layered strategies focusing on actionability that can be implemented at multiple structural levels, ranging from governmental to corporate and community levels. • The COVID-19 pandemic is increasing digital inequalities. • Digital inequalities are increasing the vulnerability to the COVID-19 virus and to the consequences of the crisis. • The impact of digital inequalities on COVID-19 vulnerability should be central in the governmental responses. • Actionability-focused mitigation strategies targeting the individuals and the messages are proposed.

Hunsaker A., Nguyen M.H., Fuchs J., Karaoglu G., Djukaric T., Hargittai E.

Radwan E., Radwan A., Radwan W.

Liddle J., Pitcher N., Montague K., Hanratty B., Standing H., Scharf T.

Social connectedness in later life is an important dimension of an age-friendly community, with associated implications for individual health and wellbeing. In contrast with prior efforts focusing on connections at a distance or online communities where the digital technology is the interface, we explore the design opportunities and role of technology for connectedness within a geographically local community context. We present findings from interviews with 22 older adults and a linked ideation workshop. Our analysis identified shared concerns and negative perceptions around local relationships, connections and characteristics of the geographical area. However, local connectedness through technology was largely absent from day-to-day life and even perceived as contributing to disconnection. By uncovering how older adults use and perceive technology in their social lives and combining these findings with their ideas for improving local connections, we highlight the need for thoughtful consideration of the role of technology in optimising social connections within communities. Our research highlights a need for design work to understand the specifics of the local context and reduce emphasis on technology as the interface between people. We introduce an amended definition—‘underpinned by a commitment to respect and social inclusion, an age-friendly community is engaged in a strategic and ongoing process to facilitate active ageing by optimising the community’s physical, social and digital environments and its supporting infrastructure’—to conceptualise our approach. We conclude by suggesting areas for future work in developing digitally connected age-friendly communities.

Priyadarshini I., Mohanty P., Kumar R., Son L.H., Chau H.T., Nhu V., Thi Ngo P.T., Tien Bui D.

Corona viruses are a large family of viruses that are not only restricted to causing illness in humans but also affect animals such as camels, cattle, cats, and bats, thus affecting a large group of living species. The outbreak of Corona virus in late December 2019 (also known as COVID-19) raised major concerns when the outbreak started getting tremendous. While the first case was discovered in Wuhan, China, it did not take long for the disease to travel across the globe and infect every continent (except Antarctica), killing thousands of people. Since it has become a global concern, different countries have been working toward the treatment and generation of vaccine, leading to different speculations. While some argue that the vaccine may only be a few weeks away, others believe that it may take some time to create the vaccine. Given the increasing number of deaths, the COVID-19 has caused havoc worldwide and is a matter of serious concern. Thus, there is a need to study how the disease has been propagating across continents by numbers as well as by regions. This study incorporates a detailed description of how the COVID-19 outbreak started in China and managed to spread across the globe rapidly. We take into account the COVID-19 outbreak cases (confirmed, recovered, death) in order to make some observations regarding the pandemic. Given the detailed description of the outbreak, this study would be beneficial to certain industries that may be affected by the outbreak in order to take timely precautionary measures in the future. Further, the study lists some industries that have witnessed the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on a global scale.

Aissaoui D., Barcenilla J.

In addition to usual Information and Communication Technology (ICT) devices, things are becoming “therapeutic” and can be dedicated to the specific needs of aging. However, because there is a diversity of senior impairments, one must diagnose needs, expectations, abilities or skills of seniors in order to provide the best adapted functions and usages. Moreover, these devices must be evaluated to determine their real potential and effectiveness. This paper discusses how to choose the best fit between a health technology and age-related deficits, and how we can assess the results of this fit. In this context we will use a tool and methodology called “Design for Adapted Devices” (i.e. DAD). DAD tries to develop adaptable systems based on the comprehensive diagnosis of human deficits and needs taking into account several dimensions of user diversity like skills and abilities (e.g. motor, cognitive skills, etc.), and measure deficits that “modulate users” performances (e.g. social support, experience, strategies, etc.). DAD gives prospective data to define future smart things and provides information about technology assessment.

Nimrod G.

Abstract Objectives Studies show that using information and communication technology (ICT) contributes significantly to elders’ subjective well-being (SWB). Drawing on the Selective Optimization with Compensation (SOC) model, this study aims at exploring the mechanism by which ICT use helps older adults remain engaged in valued life activities and maintain their SWB. Method Involving teams from seven countries (Canada, Colombia, Israel, Italy, Peru, Romania, Spain), 27 focus groups were conducted with a total of 184 grandmothers aged 65 years and older who use ICT. Results Analysis led to identification of a series of strategies related to ICT use that may be described in SOC terms. “Intentional limited use” and “Selective timing,”, for example, are clearly associated with selection. In addition, numerous optimizing strategies were found to be applied in “Instrumental” and “Leisure” activities, whereas some ICT uses offered compensation for “Aging-related” and “General” challenging circumstances. Discussion The study suggests that ICT is used in all three SOC processes and that its effective application facilitates adjustment and enhances SWB. It should therefore be regarded as a resource that supports existing personal and social resources and life management strategies, and even as a Quality of Life Technology that maintains or enhances functioning in older adulthood.

Pu H., Kang W., Gao W., Wang S., Wu R., Ren Z.

Internet use has become an important factor affecting health. The spatio-temporal heterogeneity of the influence of internet utilization on life expectancy has not been thoroughly investigated on a global scale. The spatial clustering patterns that influence of internet usage on residents’ health levels have not yet been detected. The Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression (GTWR) model is used to examine the spatio-temporal variation of the associations between internet use and life expectancy in 182 countries from 1990 to 2020. K-mean is employed to reveal the spatial clustering patterns exhibited by GTWR fitting coefficients. The results demonstrate that internet use significantly and positively impacts life expectancy globally based on GTWR fitting coefficients. Meanwhile, the influence of internet use on life expectancy demonstrates spatio-temporal heterogeneity and non-stationarity. Furthermore, six distinctive spatial clusters are revealed utilizing the GTWR fitting coefficients as a foundation. Spatial cluster 1 is the region where internet use has the least health-promoting effect, whereas spatial cluster 6 is the region where internet use has the greatest health-promoting effect. Our findings offer novel insights into the spatio-temporal heterogeneity relationship and non-stationarity between internet use and life expectancy while providing empirical evidence to support the implementation of region-specific internet policies aimed at enhancing health outcomes.

Rosendahl S., Larsson V.

Introduction: Finding solutions to communicate difficulties in care interactions between health care professionals and older migrant patients may be facilitated by the use of digital translation tools. The aim was to explore older migrant patients’ and health professionals’ experiences using digital translation tools in transcultural care. Methodology: A systematic qualitative literature review, based on nine quality assessed articles published 2009 to 2024 from five databases, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Three themes and eight subthemes emerged: advantages of using translation tools describes the benefits experienced using such tools; limitations and challenges highlights the problems identified in their use; and improvement suggestions for the functions of the translation apps describes adjustments and developments of the translation tools. Discussion: Digital translation used in basic care, may enhance relationships and equity of care, but should not substitute human interpreters in complex care conversations. Translation tools need to be developed according to older users’ abilities.