Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, N12W5, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan.
Health & Welfare Department, Higashi Ward Office, N11E7, Sapporo 065-8612, Japan.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Jan 19;20(3):1884. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20031884.
This study aimed to verify the effectiveness of an application (app) in establishing social connectedness among unacquainted older men, as well as improving their physical health. The nine participants were men aged 65 and older in the subarctic zone of Hokkaido, Japan. A mix of quantitative and qualitative methods were adopted as the study design. A questionnaire survey was completed before and after the intervention, and a semi-structured interview was conducted after the intervention. An app-installed smartphone was loaned to the participants, which allowed them to share pictures, voice recordings, and their step count. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and qualitative data were analyzed using qualitative descriptive analysis to generate categories. The average age of the participants was 77.7 years. The relationship between participants who were interacting for the first time through the app advanced as their understanding of each other's personalities deepened. The average step count during the third and fourth months was significantly higher than in the first two months. By using the app, older men were able to build relationships with one another. In addition, visualizing the number of steps on the app was effective in improving the number of steps.
本研究旨在验证一款应用程序(app)在建立陌生老年男性之间社交联系以及改善其身体健康方面的有效性。9 名参与者是日本北海道偏远地区年龄在 65 岁及以上的男性。该研究设计采用了定量和定性方法的混合方法。在干预前后完成了问卷调查，并在干预后进行了半结构化访谈。参与者借用了安装有应用程序的智能手机，他们可以通过该手机共享图片、录音和他们的步数。使用描述性统计和 Wilcoxon 符号秩检验对定量数据进行分析，使用定性描述性分析对定性数据进行分析，以生成类别。参与者的平均年龄为 77.7 岁。通过应用程序进行首次互动的参与者之间的关系随着他们对彼此个性的深入了解而加深。第三个和第四个月的平均步数明显高于前两个月。通过使用应用程序，老年男性能够彼此建立关系。此外，在应用程序上可视化步数对提高步数很有效。
