The Effectiveness of Information Communication Technology for Older Adults: Using Social Networks

 描述(申请人提供)：信息和通信技术(ICT)已成为维持人际关系、个人交流和社会参与的虚拟媒介。老年人是ICT消费者中的新兴群体。然而，随着报告显示，他们和年轻的信通技术用户之间的数字技能鸿沟不断扩大，大量老年人可能无法实现信通技术的多方面好处。由于这些趋势，再加上与老龄化相关的健康和功能下降，独特的老年人群体仍然面临失去社会关系和获得社区资源的风险。因此，必须探讨投资于资源以改善高危老年人获取和使用信息和通信技术是否能够增加他们的技术采用、社会联系、信息和卫生资源获取以及独立的社区生活。这个项目有两个具体目标。第一个目标是了解它们的特点和 高危老年人在使用和采用信息和通信技术方面的需求，特别侧重于当前的使用情况、挑战和学习障碍，以及确定与信息和通信技术有关的个人目标。根据这些发现，第二个目标是开发一种专门针对高危老年人需求的新的信通技术干预措施，并从经验上测试其对广泛的心理社会和健康指标的影响。第二个目标的活动[干预]将针对生活在新罕布夏州小城镇和农村社区的已确定的高危老年人群体，因为信通技术的范围可能在他们的健康、主观幸福感和社区准入方面更重要。为了解决目标一，我们将通过以下方式对老年人进行需求评估：1)对400名老年人进行调查；以及2)由老年人(n=12)和主要支助家庭成员和机构人员(n=12)组成的两个重点小组。为了解决AIM II，我们将对80名老年人进行为期两年的随机研究，其中40人参加了个性化的基于家庭的ICT培训计划，另外40人被分配到控制组。在研究结束时，将对培训进行规范，以促进信通技术的可持续使用。数据将在培训前收集，并在为期两年的研究中每隔六个月收集一次，其中将包括社会联系、技术采用和自我效能、独立性、主观幸福感和健康的衡量标准。这些发现预计将产生基于证据的知识，并向卫生和服务提供者通报将信通技术纳入有意义的就地老龄化的实用战略。这项研究将对老年学和信息和通信技术研究作出有益贡献，因为它将产生以前在目标人群中未报告的数据。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become a virtual medium for sustaining human relations, personal communication and social participation. Older adults are the emerging segment of ICT consumers. However, with reports indicating an ever-growing digital skill divide between them and younger ICT users, a vast population of older adults may not get to realize the multidimensional benefits of ICT. With these trends combined with a decline in health and functioning associated with aging, distinctive cohorts of older adults remain at-risk of losing social connections and access to community resources. Therefore, it is critical to explore whether investing in resources to improve access and use of ICT by high-risk older adults can augment their technology adoption, social connections, information and health resource access and independent community living. This project has two specific aims. The first aim is to gain an understanding of the characteristics and the needs of high-risk older adults in using and adopting ICT, specifically focusing on current usage, challenges, and barriers to learning, and identification of personal goals linked to ICT. Based on these findings, the second aim is to develop a novel ICT intervention specific to the needs of high- risk older adults and empirically test its effect on broad ranging psychosocial and health indicators. The second aim's activity [intervention] will target the identified high-risk cohorts of older adults living in small towns and rural communities in New Hampshire, because the scope of ICT may be more significant in terms of their health, subjective well-being, and community access. To address Aim I, we will conduct a needs assessment of older adults through: 1) a survey of 400 older adults; and 2) two focus groups comprised of older adults (n=12) and primary support family members and agency personnel (n=12). To address Aim II, we will conduct a two-year randomized study with 80 older adults with 40 enrolled in an individualized home-based ICT training program, and the other 40 assigned to a control group. The training will be regulated in a way to facilitate sustainable use of ICT by the end of the study. Data will be collected prior to the training and during six-month intervals through the two-year study and will include measures of social connectedness, technology adoption and self-efficacy, independence, subjective wellbeing and health. The findings are expected to generate evidence- based knowledge and inform health and service providers about practical strategies for incorporating ICT for meaningful aging-in-place. This study will be useful contribution to gerontology and ICT research, as it will yield data that has not previously been reported within the target population.