Lim Yu Xuan, Yap Xin Yi, Domingo Raven Viel Calangian, Tan Yue Qian, Tan Poh Choo, Wu Xi Vivien
Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Level 5, Centre for Translational Medicine, Block MD6, Singapore, Singapore.
Community Nursing Department, Changi General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
Nurs Health Sci. 2025 Mar;27(1):e70056. doi: 10.1111/nhs.70056.
As the aging population grows rapidly, older adults are living longer with multiple chronic diseases. Coupled with the rise of the digital era, older adults are experiencing the brunt of the global aging phenomenon. The study aims to explore the perspectives of older adults on self-care for chronic diseases with the application of online resources. An exploratory qualitative study with focus group discussions was conducted to shed light on the insights of older adults from senior activity centers. Purposive sampling was used to include older adults with at least one chronic disease and living in the community. Twenty older adults were interviewed face-to-face in four focused-group discussions, led by a semi-structured interview guide that thematic analysis was then applied to. Four overarching themes and 14 subthemes emerged. The four major themes were (1) Barriers to a Healthier Life; (2) Proactively Acquiring Knowledge for Health Management; (3) Socially-influenced Health Decision-Making, and (4) Conducive Ecosystem Encourages Health-Promoting Behaviors. Older adults often face challenges in navigating the evolving digital landscape, yet they are receptive to learning from social networks and online resources, which help them make healthier self-care choices. Hence, a supportive environment is essential to empower older adults to effectively utilize online resources for managing their chronic diseases.
随着老年人口的迅速增长，老年人在患有多种慢性病的情况下寿命延长。再加上数字时代的兴起，老年人正承受着全球老龄化现象的冲击。本研究旨在探讨老年人在使用在线资源进行慢性病自我护理方面的观点。通过焦点小组讨论进行了一项探索性定性研究，以了解来自老年活动中心的老年人的见解。采用目的抽样法纳入至少患有一种慢性病且居住在社区的老年人。在四次焦点小组讨论中，由一名半结构化访谈指南引导，对20名老年人进行了面对面访谈，随后对访谈内容进行了主题分析。出现了四个总体主题和14个子主题。四个主要主题分别是：(1) 健康生活的障碍；(2) 积极获取健康管理知识；(3) 受社会影响的健康决策；(4) 有利的生态系统鼓励促进健康的行为。老年人在应对不断变化的数字环境时往往面临挑战，但他们愿意从社交网络和在线资源中学习，这有助于他们做出更健康的自我护理选择。因此，一个支持性的环境对于使老年人能够有效利用在线资源来管理他们的慢性病至关重要。
