Title

The Effect of Information and Communication Technology and Social Networking Site Use on Older People’s Well-Being in Relation to Loneliness: Review of Experimental Studies

Authors

Casanova, Georgia (1)

Zaccaria, Daniele (2)

Rolandi, Elena (3)

Guaita, Antonio (3)

Author Affiliations

(1) Centre for Socio-Economic Research on Ageing, National Institute of Health & Science on Ageing, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Ancona, Italy

(2) Centre of Competence on Ageing, Department of Business Economics, Health and Social Care, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Manno, Switzerland

(3) Golgi Cenci Foundation, Abbiategrasso, Italy

Publication Information

JMIR Publications, 2021

Date of Publication

MAR 1 2021

Series/Report no.

JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH, Volume 23, Issue 3

Key words

review; aging; loneliness; older people’s well-being; ICTs; social network sites

Abstract

Background: In the last decades, the relationship between social networking sites (SNSs) and older people's loneliness is gaining specific relevance. Studies in this field are often based on qualitative methods to study in-depth self-perceived issues, including loneliness and well-being, or quantitative surveys to report the links between information and communication technologies (ICTs) and older people's well-being or loneliness. However, these nonexperimental methods are unable to deeply analyze the causal relationship. Moreover, the research on older people's SNS use is still scant, especially regarding its impact on health and well-being. In recent years, the existing review studies have separately focused their attention on loneliness and social isolation of older people or on the use of ICTs and SNSs in elderly populations without addressing the relationship between the former and the latter. This thorough qualitative review provides an analysis of research performed using an experimental or quasi-experimental design that investigates the causal effect of ICT and SNS use on elderly people's well-being related to loneliness.

Objective: The aims of this review are to contrast and compare research designs (sampling and recruitment, evaluation tools, interventions) and the findings of these studies and highlight their limitations.

Methods: Using an approach that integrates the methodological framework for scoping studies and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines for systematic reviews, we identified 11 articles that met our inclusion criteria. A thematic and content analysis was performed based on the ex post categorization of the data on the selected studies, and the data were summarized in tables.

Results: The analysis of the selected articles showed that: (1) ICT use is positively but weakly related to the different measures of older people's well-being and loneliness, (2) overall, the studies under review lack a sound experimental design, (3) the main limitations of these studies lie in the lack of rigor in the sampling method and in the recruitment strategy.

Conclusions: The analysis of the reviewed studies confirms the existence of a beneficial effect of ICT use on the well-being of older people in terms of reduced loneliness. However, the causal relationship is often found to be weak. This review highlights the need to study these issues further with adequate methodological rigor.

주요 내용

 지난 수십 년 동안 소셜 네트워킹 사이트(SNS)와 노인의 외로움 사이의 관계가 특정 관련이 있다는 것이 연구들을 통해 밝혀져 왔다. 이 분야의 연구는 외로움, 그리고 복지를 포함한 인지된 심층적 이슈(in-depth self-perceived issues)들을 연구하기 위한 질적 방법이나 정보 통신 기술(ICT)과 노인의 복지 또는 외로움 사이의 연관성을 보고하기 위한 양적 조사를 기반으로 한다. 그러나 이러한 비실험적 방법으로는 인과관계를 깊이 분석할 수 없다. 더욱이 노인의 SNS 사용에 대한 연구는 특히 건강과 well-being에 미치는 영향에 대한 연구가 부족한 실정이다. 

 본 연구를 통한 질적 검토는 외로움과 관련된 노인 복지에 대한 ICT 및 SNS 사용의 인과적 관계를 분석한다. 검토된 연구의 분석 결과, 외로움 감소 측면에서 ICT 사용이 노인의 웰빙에 유익한 효과가 있음을 확인할 수 있었다. 그러나 인과관계가 약한 것으로 밝혀지는 경우가 많았다. 본 리뷰는 이러한 이슈에 대해 앞으로 보다 엄격한 방법론적 연구가 이뤄져야함을 제언한다. 

ISSN

1438-8871

DOI

https://doi.org/10.2196/23588