Neter Efrat, Chachashvili-Bolotin Svetlana, Erlich Bracha, Ifrah Kfir
Department Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Social & Community Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Emeq Hefer, Israel.
Institute for Immigration & Social Integration, Faculty of Social & Community Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Emeq Hefer, Israel.
JMIR Aging. 2021 Apr 30;4(2):e25706. doi: 10.2196/25706.
Previous work documented the beneficial association between internet use and improved cognition, functional capacity, and less cognitive decline among people in late adulthood. This work focused on potential mechanisms of such an association: knowledge on Alzheimer disease (AD) and preventive behaviors related to AD.
The aim of this study was to examine prospective associations of internet use and perceived computer skills with knowledge on AD and preventive behaviors related to AD.
The sample included 1232 older adults (mean age 71.12 [SD 9.07]) drawn from the Israeli branch of the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE-Israel). The sample is representative of Israeli households of adults aged 50 or older and their spouses. Data analyzed were collected in person during 2015 (Wave 6), and in a drop-off questionnaire following the in-person 2017 data collection (Wave 7).
Although both internet use and perceived computer skills were prospectively associated with knowledge and behaviors related to AD in bivariate analyses, after controlling for sociodemographics, only internet use was associated with more such knowledge (β=.13, P<.001) and behaviors (β=.22, P<.001).
Internet use emerged as a prospective predictor of protective factors against AD. Policymakers should advance digital engagement so as to enhance knowledge on AD and preventive behaviors among older adults.
先前的研究记录了互联网使用与老年人认知能力改善、功能能力提升以及认知衰退减缓之间的有益关联。这项研究聚焦于这种关联的潜在机制：关于阿尔茨海默病（AD）的知识以及与AD相关的预防行为。
本研究旨在探讨互联网使用和感知计算机技能与AD知识以及与AD相关的预防行为之间的前瞻性关联。
样本包括从欧洲健康、老龄化与退休调查（SHARE - 以色列）的以色列分支中抽取的1232名老年人（平均年龄71.12岁[标准差9.07]）。该样本代表了以色列50岁及以上成年人及其配偶的家庭。分析的数据于2015年（第6波）通过面对面收集，并在2017年面对面数据收集（第7波）后通过投递式问卷收集。
在双变量分析中，尽管互联网使用和感知计算机技能都与AD相关的知识和行为存在前瞻性关联，但在控制了社会人口统计学因素后，只有互联网使用与更多此类知识（β = 0.13，P < 0.001）和行为（β = 0.22，P < 0.001）相关。
互联网使用成为预防AD保护因素的前瞻性预测指标。政策制定者应推动数字参与，以提高老年人对AD的认识和预防行为。
