Information and communicative technology use enhances psychological well-being of older adults: the roles of age, social connectedness, and frailty status

Abstract

Objectives: Information and communicative technology (ICT) use is a potential vehicle for improving the psychological well-being (PWB) of older people. We examined the roles of age, frailty, and social connectedness in the relationship between ICT use and PWB.

Method: Telephone interviews were conducted in mid-2016 with 1201 participants aged 50 and above (55.7% female) residing in Hong Kong, China. The participants reported PWB, ICT use (frequency of using the Internet and smart devices), frailty status, contact with family, friends, and neighbors, self-rated health, subjective financial sufficiency, education level, and employment status.

Results: We found that the association between ICT and PWB was moderated by age: ICT was associated with PWB only among old-olds (75+), but not in other age groups. This moderation was mediated by contact with family, but not with friends or neighbors. The moderation was further qualified by frailty status: the ICT-by-age moderation was found only among frail, but not pre-frail or robust older adults.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that ICT use can potentially enhance the PWB of older adults aged 75+ through facilitating their contact with family members. These benefits might be particularly salient for those who were frail. Improving ICT access and literacy among older adults may be promising.

Keywords: Hong Kong SAR; Life satisfaction; gerontechnology; selective optimization and compensation; socio-emotional selectivity theory.