Elsevier

Computers in Human Behavior

Volume 23, Issue 6, November 2007, Pages 3012-3024
Computers in Human Behavior

Computer use among older adults in a naturally occurring retirement community

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2006.08.015Get rights and content

Abstract

Though computers and the Internet offer an opportunity to enhance the lives of older adults, rates of computer use among older adults are low relative to other age groups. This study examined patterns of computer use and barriers to use among 324 residents living in a suburban naturally occurring retirement community (NORC). One-third (36%) of the residents were actively using computers. Residents currently using computers were more likely to be younger, with more education, fewer functional impairments, and greater social resources. Results from a multidimensional scaling analysis suggested that common uses fell along two dimensions: a solitary–social dimension and an obligatory–discretionary dimension. Barriers to more frequent use included cost, complexity, ergonomic impediments, and a lack of interest. Results from this study could inform the development of services by taking into account how older adults prefer to use computers and their perceptions of the technology. We include practical recommendations for program developers.

Introduction

Computers and the Internet have the potential to enhance the quality of life for older adults in a number of ways (Chen and Persson, 2002, White et al., 2002). Computers provide ready access to information, such as facts about medical conditions, travel destinations, history, culture, and almost any other topic. They also offer opportunities for entertainment in the form of games, movies, and music. Computers can encourage cognitive stimulation as older adults learn to use new functions and navigate the world wide web, and through software applications specifically designed to challenge cognitive skills(www.realagegames.com, www.positscience.com). And computers can facilitate communication among family and friends via e-mail, instant messaging, and on-line chat.

Despite the potential good that computers, the Internet, and e-mail might bring older adults, a lag seems to exist in technology adoption by older adults. Selwyn, Gorard, Furlong, and Madden (2003), for instance, reported that approximately 20% of older adults compared to 65% of younger adults had used a computer in the past 12 months. Not all studies, however, have found lower rates of computer use in older adults (e.g., Matanda, Jenvey, & Phillips, 2004), with discrepancies across studies likely due to sample differences. Moreover, while some cross-sectional figures suggest fewer older adults use computers relative to younger adults, longitudinal trends reveal that the computer ownership and Internet use are increasing at the highest rates among older adults (Bucar, Renold, & Henke, 1999). In a national sample of people over age 55, Adler (1996) found a 43% increase in computer ownership in just one year, suggesting that “within a few years, penetration of PCs among older adults will be virtually indistinguishable from that in the general population” (p. 7). Meanwhile, access to the Internet increased by 47% from 2000 to 2004 among Americans over the age of 65 (Fox, 2004). Thus, given the right circumstances, a “digital divide” based on age may soon disappear (Frissen, 2005, Opalinski, 2001).

One framework for understanding why older adults may or may not use computers is diffusion theory (Atkin, Jeffres, & Neuendorf, 1998). Diffusion theory posits that whether an individual adopts a technological innovation (such as computers) depends on an interplay between contextual characteristics of the individual (e.g., income, health), beliefs about the technology (e.g., its complexity), and the perception of need for the technology (e.g., How will a computer help me?). Results from prior research have been consistent with this framework. For example, computer use in older adults appears to be impeded by functional deficits such as visual impairments that make reading a computer screen more difficult (Bitterman & Shalev, 2004) and dexterity problems that interfere with typing and mousing (Charness & Holley, 2004). Another barrier is monetary, as older adults may have limited income to invest in computer equipment, software, and service fees (Browne, 2000, Fisk and Rogers, 2002). In terms of beliefs about the technology, some studies have cited older adults’ anxiety about their lack of knowledge (Czaja and Sharit, 1998, Ellis and Allaire, 1999) and lack of confidence in their ability to master the computer (Marquie, Jourdan-Boddaert, & Huet, 2002). A final impediment to use may be a simple lack of interest. Older adults may think computers are irrelevant to their daily lives, offer no advantages, and provide no benefits (Selwyn et al., 2003). Frissen (2005) highlighted the existence of “voluntary non-users,” pointing out that some older adults are quite content without a computer in their lives.

The purpose of the current study was to examine elements of diffusion theory in relation to computer use among older adults in a naturally occurring retirement community (NORC). Broadly defined, a NORC is a community that includes a disproportionate percentage of older adults. Some NORCs consist of a large number of older adults living in one apartment building, while other NORCs encompass a neighborhood or even small town (Hunt, 2001). NORCs come into existence for a variety of reasons. Some arise when older adults move into a neighborhood, others emerge when citizens who have lived for some time in a building or area “age in place” together, and still others are created by both processes simultaneously. In all their forms, NORCs arise for practical, psychological, and social reasons—the places provide older adults with what they need in order to live independent, fulfilling lives as they grow older.

Services and support systems arise in a NORC to help residents stay in their own homes for as long as possible. As older adults age in place, however, their independence, mobility, and social network are likely to decrease, leaving them more and more isolated. Computers, with their ability to deliver information and to facilitate communication, offer one tool for remediating some of the losses older adults experience and for keeping a NORC a vibrant, supportive place to live. Computers in a NORC can be used to (a) help maintain social contact with friends who are now more housebound, (b) promote new friendships with other NORC residents who may share experiences and concerns because of their shared community, (c) keep residents aware of programs and services available in the neighborhood, and (d) provide a focus for education and peer support in computer use and training. All of these benefits would be in addition to others related more generally to computer use (e.g., information access, entertainment). Moreover, all of this could take place with some efficiency in a NORC due to the concentration of service and support organizations.

In anticipation of developing computer-related programs in a NORC, we surveyed older residents to examine current patterns of computer use. In specific, we were interested in addressing the following questions:

  • 1.

    Among NORC residents, who is currently using a computer and what differentiates them from non-users?

  • 2.

    Among computer users, what do they use the computer for?

  • 3.

    Among non-users, what are the barriers to use? And among users, what prevents them from using the computer as much as they would like?

Answers to these questions might help us market activities effectively, develop programs that respond to resident preferences, and address factors that could impede successful program implementation.

Section snippets

Participants and procedure

Participants were drawn from a geographically defined NORC approximately 1 mile2 in size in the St. Louis suburbs. The boundaries of the NORC included a group of apartment buildings, townhouse apartments, condominiums, single-family homes, senior congregate housing facilities, and the business and service organizations that sprang up around them as, historically, more and more older adults moved into this neighborhood. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2000), this NORC neighborhood includes

Results

Characteristics of the participants appear in Table 1, along with comparisons between computer users and non-users. In the total sample, 115 (36%) of the older adults reported that they currently use a computer. There were notable differences between users and non-users. Older adults currently using a computer tended to be younger, t(322) = 7.24, p < 0.001, with more education, t(322) = −5.69, p < 0.001, and higher average income, t(322) = −5.48, p < 0.001. People using computers were more likely to be

Discussion

This study examined patterns of computer use among a group of older adults living in a naturally occurring retirement community (NORC), where services and programs might be developed to counter impediments to computer use. Thirty-six percent of the NORC residents currently use a computer. That figure is similar to rates of computer use reported in other studies (Adler, 1996, Fox, 2004) and suggests the potential for enhancing use in the community. Also as in previous studies, computer users

Summary

Computers will play a role in the lives of older adults in generations to come, but the challenge now is to get the current cohort to use the technology in ways that can enhance their quality of life. Barriers to use are contextual, ideological, and practical, but not impossible to overcome, given well designed education and training. The key is to develop programs and services that emerge from older adults’ own concerns, wishes, and capabilities.

Acknowledgements

Support for this project was provided by the Administration on Aging (90AM2612) and the State of Missouri in grants to the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, by the Harvey A. and Dorismae Friedman Research Fund at Washington University in St. Louis, and by the Washington University Center for Aging (WUCFA). The WUCFA study team, lead by John C. Morris, MD, Department of Neurology, also included Dorothy Edwards, Ph.D., OTR/L, Department of Occupational Therapy, Peggy S. Neufeld, Ph.D., OTR/L,

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