Human Development and Family Studies, Iowa State University, 2222 Osborn Dr, Ames, IA, 50011-1084, United States of America.
BMC Geriatr. 2023 Mar 27;23(1):178. doi: 10.1186/s12877-023-03856-8.
The rationale for the present study is a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as there are fewer opportunities available for older adults to engage in face-to-face interaction and social activities, which may result in changes in the communication methods with their social contacts. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between methods of social connectedness and emotional well-being outcomes among older adults at the start of the pandemic.
Two thousand five hundred and fifty-eight older adults Medicare beneficiaries (65 + years of age) in the National Health and Aging Trends Study at wave 10 (June 2020 to January 2021) were selected for cross-sectional analysis. Participants were measured on brief questionnaires regarding forms of communication with family and friends before and during the pandemic. Emotional well-being outcomes were measured on single items of sadness/depressed and loneliness; as well as a 6-item Likert scale of anxiety during the pandemic. Paired sample t-tests were utilized to examine the forms of communication between before and during pandemic. Hierarchical regressions were conducted to assess the relationship between forms of communication and emotional well-being outcomes.
We found that there were overall decreases in communication frequency during pandemic. Findings from regression analyses indicated information communication technology (ICT) are associated with negative emotional well-being outcomes, whereas in-person social contact are associated with lower levels of negative affect.
These findings suggest utilizing higher levels of ICT has negative implications for older adults' emotional well-being, contrasting with the positive implication of in-person contacts. These findings highlight the role of ICT in emotional well-being among older adults during pandemic.
本研究的基本原理是由于 COVID-19 大流行，老年人与社会接触的机会减少，这可能导致他们与社会联系人的沟通方式发生变化。本研究的目的是探讨大流行开始时老年人社会联系方式与情绪健康结果之间的关系。
从 2020 年 6 月至 2021 年 1 月的第 10 波（National Health and Aging Trends Study）中选择了 2558 名 Medicare 受益的老年人（65 岁及以上）进行横断面分析。参与者通过简短的问卷测量了在大流行之前和期间与家人和朋友的沟通方式。情绪健康结果通过悲伤/抑郁和孤独的单项来衡量；以及大流行期间的焦虑的 6 项李克特量表。采用配对样本 t 检验来检验大流行前后的沟通方式。进行分层回归分析以评估沟通方式与情绪健康结果之间的关系。
我们发现，在大流行期间，沟通频率总体上有所下降。回归分析的结果表明，信息通信技术（ICT）与负面情绪健康结果相关，而面对面的社会接触与较低的负面情绪相关。
这些发现表明，利用更高水平的 ICT 对老年人的情绪健康有负面影响，而面对面接触则有积极影响。这些发现强调了在大流行期间 ICT 在老年人情绪健康中的作用。
