Keränen Niina Susanna, Kangas Maarit, Immonen Milla, Similä Heidi, Enwald Heidi, Korpelainen Raija, Jämsä Timo
Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Infotech Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
J Med Internet Res. 2017 Feb 14;19(2):e29. doi: 10.2196/jmir.5507.
Use of information and communication technologies (ICT) among seniors is increasing; however, studies on the use of ICT by seniors at the highest risk of health impairment are lacking. Frail and prefrail seniors are a group that would likely benefit from preventive nutrition and exercise interventions, both of which can take advantage of ICT.
The objective of the study was to quantify the differences in ICT use, attitudes, and reasons for nonuse among physically frail, prefrail, and nonfrail home-dwelling seniors.
This was a population-based questionnaire study on people aged 65-98 years living in Northern Finland. A total of 794 eligible individuals responded out of a contacted random sample of 1500.
In this study, 29.8% (237/794) of the respondents were classified as frail or prefrail. The ICT use of frail persons was lower than that of the nonfrail ones. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, age and education level were associated with both the use of Internet and advanced mobile ICT such as smartphones or tablets. Controlling for age and education, frailty or prefrailty was independently related to the nonuse of advanced mobile ICT (odds ratio, OR=0.61, P=.01), and frailty with use of the Internet (OR=0.45, P=.03). The frail or prefrail ICT nonusers also held the most negative opinions on the usefulness or usability of mobile ICT. When opinion variables were included in the model, frailty status remained a significant predictor of ICT use.
Physical frailty status is associated with older peoples' ICT use independent of age, education, and opinions on ICT use. This should be taken into consideration when designing preventive and assistive technologies and interventions for older people at risk of health impairment.
老年人对信息通信技术（ICT）的使用正在增加；然而，针对健康受损风险最高的老年人使用ICT的研究却很缺乏。体弱和准体弱的老年人是可能从预防性营养和运动干预中受益的群体，而这两种干预都可以借助ICT。
本研究的目的是量化身体虚弱、准虚弱和非虚弱的居家老年人在ICT使用、态度以及不使用原因方面的差异。
这是一项针对居住在芬兰北部65 - 98岁人群的基于人群的问卷调查研究。在随机抽取的1500名被调查对象中，共有794名符合条件的个体做出了回应。
在本研究中，29.8%（237/794）的受访者被归类为体弱或准体弱。体弱人群的ICT使用低于非体弱人群。在多变量逻辑回归分析中，年龄和教育水平与互联网使用以及智能手机或平板电脑等先进移动ICT的使用均相关。在控制年龄和教育因素后，体弱或准体弱与不使用先进移动ICT独立相关（优势比，OR = 0.61，P = 0.01），体弱与互联网使用相关（OR = 0.45，P = 0.03）。体弱或准体弱的ICT不使用者对移动ICT的有用性或可用性也持有最负面的看法。当将观点变量纳入模型时，体弱状态仍然是ICT使用的显著预测因素。
身体虚弱状态与老年人的ICT使用相关，且独立于年龄、教育以及对ICT使用的看法。在为有健康受损风险的老年人设计预防和辅助技术及干预措施时，应考虑到这一点。
