Yu Haoyuan, Alizadeh Farideh
Department of Journalism, School of Humanities, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan City, Hunan Province, People's Republic of China.
Department of Drama, Faculty of Creative Arts, University of Malaya (UM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2024 Jul 9;17:2631-2640. doi: 10.2147/PRBM.S462085. eCollection 2024.
The aim of this study was to investigate the television (TV) consumption patterns (viewing behavior and motivation) of older adults in Wuhan, China, during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on older adults' mental health, particularly in relation to COVID-19-induced fear.
A questionnaire survey was conducted with 405 older adults in Wuhan, China. The data were analyzed using a structural equation model to understand the relationship between TV viewing behavior, motivation, and fear related to COVID-19.
The findings indicate that the motivation to watch TV has a positive influence on viewing behavior among older adults during the pandemic. However, this motivation negatively impacts their COVID-19-related fear. Furthermore, a negative correlation was observed between viewing behavior and fear. The primary motivations for TV viewing among older adults during the pandemic were identified as social interaction and emotion management, followed by information seeking and value expression.
The findings suggest that TV viewing plays a significant role in the mental well-being of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. By addressing the motivations of social interaction, emotion management, information seeking, and value expression, public health organizations and TV stations can contribute to the mental health of this vulnerable population.
本研究旨在调查中国武汉老年人在新冠疫情期间的电视消费模式（观看行为和动机）及其对老年人心理健康的影响，特别是与新冠疫情引发的恐惧相关的影响。
对中国武汉的405名老年人进行了问卷调查。使用结构方程模型对数据进行分析，以了解电视观看行为、动机与新冠疫情相关恐惧之间的关系。
研究结果表明，在疫情期间，观看电视的动机对老年人的观看行为有积极影响。然而，这种动机对他们与新冠疫情相关的恐惧有负面影响。此外，观察到观看行为与恐惧之间存在负相关。疫情期间老年人观看电视的主要动机被确定为社交互动和情绪管理,其次是信息寻求和价值表达。
研究结果表明，在新冠疫情期间，观看电视对老年人的心理健康起着重要作用。通过满足社交互动、情绪管理、信息寻求和价值表达等动机，公共卫生组织和电视台可以为这一弱势群体的心理健康做出贡献。
