Title

Assessing the impact of Social Networking Site use on older people's loneliness and social isolation. A randomized controlled trial: The Aging in a Networked Society-Social Experiment Study (ANS-SE)

Authors

Zaccaria, D.1

Guaita, A.2

Vaccaro, R.2

Abbondanza, S.2

Cerati, G.2

Rolandi, E.2

Casanova, G.3

Pettinato, L.4

Sala, E.4

Author Affiliations

1: University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Department of Business Economics, Health and Social Care, Centre of Competence on Ageing

2: Golgi Cenci Foundation

3: IRCCS—INRCA—National Institute of Health & Science on Ageing, Centre for Socio-Economic Research on Ageing

4: University of Milan Bicocca, Department of Sociology and Social Research

Publication Information

Elsevier Inc

Date of Publication

2020

Series/Report no.

Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 19

Key words

Social Networking Sites use; Older people; Loneliness; Social isolation

Abstract

Introduction

An ageing society poses unprecedented challenges to societies. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), including Social Networking Sites (SNSs), may contribute to contrast loneliness and social isolation in old age. Despite of the potentialities of SNSs, there is only a handful of studies assessing the causal relationship of SNS use and older people's well-being. This paper aims to provide further evidence on the design of randomised controlled trials exploring the causal impact of SNS use on loneliness and social isolation in old age.

Methods and analysis

The Aging in a Networked Society-Social Experiment Study (ANS-SE) is a randomised controlled trial conducted on people aged 75 and over residing in a town located in the Milan area (Italy) aiming to assess the impact of SNS use on loneliness and social isolation (i.e. the primary outcomes of this study). The study is constituted of two stages, i.e. the baseline and the follow up. The experiment is structured into one treatment group and two control groups; the interventions are the attendance to a course on SNS use (T1) and lifestyle education and brain functioning (C1). The inactive control group (C) is constituted of a waiting list. We will perform bivariate and regression analysis.

Ethics and dissemination

The study has been approved by the Ethic Committee of the University of Milano Bicocca (prot. 431/2019) and was registered at Clinical Trials.gov (NCT04242628). Written consent was obtained from all respondents. Results from the study will be discussed with the local community and stakeholders, presented in national and international conferences and published in leading peer-review journals. The consent forms, the anonymised dataset, and the relevant statistical codes will be deposited with the Italian Unidata archive, also in charge of releasing the data to the public, upon a short embargo period.

주요 내용

이 연구는 SNS 사용과 노년기 외로움과 사회적 고립의 인과관계를 평가한 연구이다. SNS 사용이 외로움과 사회적 고립에 미치는 인과 관계를 평가하기 위해 Mediterranean Europe에서 처음으로 실시된 무작위 대조 실험이다.

SNS의 잠재력에도 불구하고 SNS 이용과 노인복지의 인과관계를 평가한 연구는 소수에 불과하다. 이 논문은 SNS 사용이 노년기에 외로움과 사회적 고립에 미치는 인과 관계를 탐구하는 무작위 대조 시험의 설계에 대한 증거를 제공한다.

ISSN

24518654

DOI

10.1016/j.conctc.2020.100615