Technology use, adoption and behaviour in older adults: results from the iStoppFalls Project

Marston, Hannah R.; Kroll, Michael; Fink, Dennis; de Rosario, Helios and Gschwind, Yves J. (2016). Technology use, adoption and behaviour in older adults: results from the iStoppFalls Project. Educational Gerontology, 42(6) pp. 371–387.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03601277.2015.1125178

Abstract

Technology use is a common constituent of modern life. However, little is known about older adults’ use of technology. This article presents a subset of data collected via the technology deployed in the iStoppFalls randomized control trial. The primary focus lies on questions about digital device/Internet use, ownership, length, and frequency as well as social networking. Data was collected from participants aged 65 years or older. Seventy-eight participants completed a specifically developed technology survey as part of the baseline assessment. Results showed that the majority of subjects owned a computer with men being its main user. Participants used technological devices on a daily basis for more than 1 year. The main reason for using technology was e-mail communication, search engines, text processing, and online shopping. Only a few participants used social network applications, with Google+ and Facebook being the most popular ones. Future work should consider an in-depth qualitative approach to further increase understanding of technology use in older adults.

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