Technology use characteristics among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-cultural survey

Ortal Cohen Elimelech; Simona Ferrante; Naomi Josman; Sonya Meyer; Francesca Lunardini; Jonathan Gómez-Raja; Carmen Galán; Pilar Cáceres; Piera Sciama; Marianne Gros; Clodia Vurro; Sara Rosenblum

doi:10.1016/j.techsoc.2022.102080

Technology use characteristics among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-cultural survey

Ortal Cohen Elimelech, Simona Ferrante, Naomi Josman, Sonya Meyer, Francesca Lunardini, Jonathan Gómez-Raja, Carmen Galán, Pilar Cáceres, Piera Sciama, Marianne Gros, Clodia Vurro, Sara Rosenblum

Department of Occupational Therapy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Personal computers, tablets, and smartphones may support older adults' engagement when people are required to stay home and opportunities to engage in meaningful activities are reduced during the COVID-19 period. This study aims to screen older adults’ technology-use characteristics across social, leisure, and education domains during the COVID-19 pandemic from a crosscultural viewpoint. The sample included 576 participants aged 60 and older from France (n = 62), Spain (n = 110), and Israel (n = 404). Participants completed the technology-use survey, which consists of questions about their facilities, technology usability, need for adaptations to support technology use, and changes in technology use since COVID-19. Significant differences were found between countries in facilities, χ² (2) = 25.16, p < .001, and usability, χ² (2) = 64.14, p < .001, across the three domains. Furthermore, 34% of technological usability was predicted by country and facilities, F (4, 568) = 72.39, p < .001. Participants noted a willingness to use technology if it was adapted for social (61%–73%), leisure (51%–71%), or educational (67%–76%) activities and that they devoted substantially more time to technology across domains (>58%) due to COVID-19. These findings highlight culture and facilities as factors that play an imperative role in supporting and enhancing the usability of technology among older adults.

Original language	English
Article number	102080
Pages (from-to)	102080
Journal	Technology in Society
Volume	71
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2022.102080
State	Published - Nov 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This study has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the call SC1-PHE-CORONAVIRUS-2020-2B, grant agreement no: 101016112.

Funding Information:
This study has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the call SC1-PHE-CORONAVIRUS-2020-2B , grant agreement no: 101016112 .

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022

Keywords

COVID-19
Cultural difference
Older adult
Technology-use characteristics

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Human Factors and Ergonomics
Business and International Management
Education
Sociology and Political Science

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https://air.unimi.it/bitstream/2434/938555/2/1-s2.0-S0160791X22002214-main.pdfLicense: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

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title = "Technology use characteristics among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-cultural survey",

abstract = "Personal computers, tablets, and smartphones may support older adults' engagement when people are required to stay home and opportunities to engage in meaningful activities are reduced during the COVID-19 period. This study aims to screen older adults{\textquoteright} technology-use characteristics across social, leisure, and education domains during the COVID-19 pandemic from a crosscultural viewpoint. The sample included 576 participants aged 60 and older from France (n = 62), Spain (n = 110), and Israel (n = 404). Participants completed the technology-use survey, which consists of questions about their facilities, technology usability, need for adaptations to support technology use, and changes in technology use since COVID-19. Significant differences were found between countries in facilities, χ2 (2) = 25.16, p < .001, and usability, χ2 (2) = 64.14, p < .001, across the three domains. Furthermore, 34% of technological usability was predicted by country and facilities, F (4, 568) = 72.39, p < .001. Participants noted a willingness to use technology if it was adapted for social (61%–73%), leisure (51%–71%), or educational (67%–76%) activities and that they devoted substantially more time to technology across domains (>58%) due to COVID-19. These findings highlight culture and facilities as factors that play an imperative role in supporting and enhancing the usability of technology among older adults.",

keywords = "COVID-19, Cultural difference, Older adult, Technology-use characteristics",

author = "Elimelech, {Ortal Cohen} and Simona Ferrante and Naomi Josman and Sonya Meyer and Francesca Lunardini and Jonathan G{\'o}mez-Raja and Carmen Gal{\'a}n and Pilar C{\'a}ceres and Piera Sciama and Marianne Gros and Clodia Vurro and Sara Rosenblum",

note = "Funding Information: This study has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the call SC1-PHE-CORONAVIRUS-2020-2B, grant agreement no: 101016112. Funding Information: This study has received funding from the European Union{\textquoteright}s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the call SC1-PHE-CORONAVIRUS-2020-2B , grant agreement no: 101016112 . Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022",

year = "2022",

month = nov,

doi = "10.1016/j.techsoc.2022.102080",

language = "English",

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AU - Elimelech, Ortal Cohen

AU - Ferrante, Simona

AU - Josman, Naomi

AU - Meyer, Sonya

AU - Lunardini, Francesca

AU - Gómez-Raja, Jonathan

AU - Galán, Carmen

AU - Cáceres, Pilar

AU - Sciama, Piera

AU - Gros, Marianne

AU - Vurro, Clodia

AU - Rosenblum, Sara

N1 - Funding Information: This study has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the call SC1-PHE-CORONAVIRUS-2020-2B, grant agreement no: 101016112. Funding Information: This study has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the call SC1-PHE-CORONAVIRUS-2020-2B , grant agreement no: 101016112 . Publisher Copyright: © 2022

PY - 2022/11

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ER -

Technology use characteristics among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-cultural survey

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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