Factors influencing use of technology in older adults' daily life

Abstract

Aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent of technology use at home by older adults and to identify factors related to technology use. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed using 400 older adults that were referred to Urban Comprehensive Health Service Centers in Kashan, Iran, from July 2017 to March 2019. The multistage cluster sampling method was used to select the health centers, and simple random sampling was used to recruit older adults that were referred to the centers. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and the Older Adults' Technology Use at Home (OATUH) scale. The independent t-test, Chi-square test, and Pearson's correlation were used to analyze data. Results: The mean score of OATUH was 17.25 ± 8.6 in the range of 0–36. Technology use at home was significantly associated with gender, education, income, and chronic conditions. Participants without chronic conditions were more likely to use technology, especially out-of-kitchen technology. Age had a negative correlation with OATUH (r = −0.3), out-of-kitchen technology use (r = 0.21), and in-kitchen technology use (r = 0.28). Conclusions: The use of technology was associated with participants' demographics and health characteristics. The results can be integrated with the knowledge base for improving older adults' technology use to enhance their quality of life.

Keywords

• activities of daily living
• aged
• equipment and supplies
• technology