Computer use and well-being among older adults: The role of environmental context

• In Event: 4266 - Section on Aging and the Life Course Refereed Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: 10. Technology and the Future of Aging

Abstract

Previous research has been inconsistent in identifying a link between computer use and well-being among older adults. Some studies have found no association while others have found that computer use can have health promotive effects. One potential reason for this inconsistency is that the environmental contexts in which older adults live (e.g., social and built environmental characteristics) may influence how and to what extent computers play a role in promoting well-being. This study investigates two primary research questions: 1) is computer use associated with multiple well-being indicators? and 2) does the association between computer use and well-being vary across the environmental contexts in which older adults live? Data are from a nationally representative sample of older adults age 70 and older from the monthly Reuters/Michigan Survey of Consumer Attitudes collected over 10 months in 2010 and 2011 (N=629). Over half (52%) of the sample of older adults reported using a computer. Computer use was associated with less loneliness in all contexts. Also, computer use was associated with better self-rated health among older adults whose home was less conveniently located to family, friends, and their place of worship. In contrast among older adults living closer to the aforementioned social and built environmental resources, computer use had little to no effect on self-rated health. Results highlight vulnerable populations and unique environmental contexts in which computer use can be most effective in helping to promote well-being in later life and offer unique promise for future interventions.

Authors

• Noah Webster, University of Michigan

• Toni C. Antonucci, University of Michigan