The Association between Social Support and Attitude toward Technology Differs by Educational Level

Abstract The present study aimed to examine the moderating effects of the educational context on the association between social support from family members and attitude toward using gerontechnology among Korean older adults. The sample was Korean older adults without dementia (N=310, Age: 65-89, M=70.18, SD=4.58). Data were collected by online recruiting in February 2021. The dependent variable was the attitude toward using gerontechnology, especially, an exoskeleton robot for exercise. Independent variables were four types of social support (emotional, instrumental, physical, and financial support) from family members. Moderating variable was the binary educational group (high school and below, or college and over). We analyzed four regression models including each interaction term between education and a type of social support using PROCESS macro and bootstrapping. Results showed educational context had a single significant moderating effect on the association between emotional support and attitude toward using gerontechnology. Specifically, emotional support had a significant effect on having a positive attitude toward using gerontechnology among older adults who graduated high school or were less educated. However, it was not significant among older adults who were highly educated. Moreover, other types of social support did not have significant main effects as well as interaction effects with education on the attitude toward using gerontechnology. Findings of the present study implied emotional support from family members, such as spouse, children, or siblings, was useful to enhance having a positive attitude toward using new technology, especially for older adults who did not experience college-level educational context.

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Understanding Technology Anxiety by the Interaction between Social Support and Educational Context

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.3330 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 928-928

Author(s):

Susanna Joo ◽

Changmin Lee ◽

YoonMyung Kim ◽

Chang Oh Kim ◽

Yun Mook Lim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Older Adults ◽

Interaction Effects ◽

Educational Context ◽

College Level ◽

Wearable Robot ◽

Highly Educated ◽

Physical Support ◽

Main Effects ◽

Technology Anxiety

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the interaction effects of social support from family and educational contexts on technology anxiety among Korean older adults. We collected data by online recruiting in February 2021, and the sample was Korean older adults without dementia (N=310; 65-89 years old). The dependent variable was technology anxiety, which meant the expected degree of worry under the assumption that a wearable robot for exercise was used. Independent variables were four types of social support (emotional, instrumental, physical, and financial support) provided by family members, such as spouse, children, or siblings. The moderating variable was the binary educational context (high school and under=0; college level and over=1). Interaction effects were estimated by bootstrapping and PROCESS macro with four regression models about each type of social support. Results showed the interaction effect between physical support and educational context was significant on technology anxiety. Concretely, getting more physical support was significantly associated with a lower level of technology anxiety for highly educated older adults, while it was not significant for less-educated older adults. There was no additional type of social support which had not only significant interaction effects with educational context but also main effects on technology anxiety. It suggested that providing direct physical help, including daily care or assistance, could decrease feeling technology anxiety, especially not for less-educated seniors but for highly educated Korean older adults.

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Social Support Patterns of Middle-Aged and Older Adults Within a Physical Activity App: Secondary Mixed Method Analysis

JMIR Aging ◽

10.2196/12496 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. e12496 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Zakkoyya H Lewis ◽

Maria C Swartz ◽

Eloisa Martinez ◽

Elizabeth J Lyons

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Social Support ◽

Older Adults ◽

Social Interaction ◽

Emotional Support ◽

Mixed Method ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Promising Tool ◽

The Social ◽

Method Analysis

Background Physical activity (PA) is critical for maintaining independence and delaying mobility disability in aging adults. However, 27 to 44% of older adults in the United States are meeting the recommended PA level. Activity trackers are proving to be a promising tool to promote PA adherence through activity tracking and enhanced social interaction features. Although social support has been known to be an influential behavior change technique to promote PA, how middle-aged and older adults use the social interaction feature of mobile apps to provide virtual support to promote PA engagement remains mostly underexplored. Objective This study aimed to describe the social support patterns of middle-aged and older adults using a mobile app as part of a behavioral PA intervention. Methods Data from 35 participants (mean age 61.66 [SD 6] years) in a 12-week, home-based activity intervention were used for this secondary mixed method analysis. Participants were provided with a Jawbone Up24 activity monitor and an Apple iPad Mini installed with the UP app to facilitate self-monitoring and social interaction. All participants were given an anonymous account and encouraged to interact with other participants using the app. Social support features included comments and likes. Thematic coding was used to identify the type of social support provided within the UP app and characterize the levels of engagement from users. Participants were categorized as superusers or contributors, and passive participants were categorized as lurkers based on the literature. Results Over the 12-week intervention, participants provided a total of 3153 likes and 1759 comments. Most participants (n=25) were contributors, with 4 categorized as superusers and 6 categorized as lurkers. Comments were coded as emotional support, informational support, instrumental support, self-talk, and other, with emotional support being the most prevalent type. Conclusions Our cohort of middle-aged and older adults was willing to use the social network feature in an activity app to communicate with anonymous peers. Most of our participants were contributors. In addition, the social support provided through the activity app followed social support constructs. In sum, PA apps are a promising tool for delivering virtual social support to enhance PA engagement and have the potential to make a widespread impact on PA promotion. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01869348; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01869348

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Social Support Patterns of Middle-Aged and Older Adults Within a Physical Activity App: Secondary Mixed Method Analysis (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.12496 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Zakkoyya H Lewis ◽

Maria C Swartz ◽

Eloisa Martinez ◽

Elizabeth J Lyons

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Social Support ◽

Older Adults ◽

Social Interaction ◽

Emotional Support ◽

Mixed Method ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Promising Tool ◽

The Social ◽

Method Analysis

BACKGROUND Physical activity (PA) is critical for maintaining independence and delaying mobility disability in aging adults. However, 27 to 44% of older adults in the United States are meeting the recommended PA level. Activity trackers are proving to be a promising tool to promote PA adherence through activity tracking and enhanced social interaction features. Although social support has been known to be an influential behavior change technique to promote PA, how middle-aged and older adults use the social interaction feature of mobile apps to provide virtual support to promote PA engagement remains mostly underexplored. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to describe the social support patterns of middle-aged and older adults using a mobile app as part of a behavioral PA intervention. METHODS Data from 35 participants (mean age 61.66 [SD 6] years) in a 12-week, home-based activity intervention were used for this secondary mixed method analysis. Participants were provided with a Jawbone Up24 activity monitor and an Apple iPad Mini installed with the UP app to facilitate self-monitoring and social interaction. All participants were given an anonymous account and encouraged to interact with other participants using the app. Social support features included comments and likes. Thematic coding was used to identify the type of social support provided within the UP app and characterize the levels of engagement from users. Participants were categorized as superusers or contributors, and passive participants were categorized as lurkers based on the literature. RESULTS Over the 12-week intervention, participants provided a total of 3153 likes and 1759 comments. Most participants (n=25) were contributors, with 4 categorized as superusers and 6 categorized as lurkers. Comments were coded as emotional support, informational support, instrumental support, self-talk, and other, with emotional support being the most prevalent type. CONCLUSIONS Our cohort of middle-aged and older adults was willing to use the social network feature in an activity app to communicate with anonymous peers. Most of our participants were contributors. In addition, the social support provided through the activity app followed social support constructs. In sum, PA apps are a promising tool for delivering virtual social support to enhance PA engagement and have the potential to make a widespread impact on PA promotion. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01869348; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01869348

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Religious Perceptions and the Use of Technology: Profiling the Future Teachers of Religious Education

Journal of Religion Media and Digital Culture ◽

10.1163/21659214-90000094 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 23-42

Author(s):

Polikarpos Karamouzis ◽

Emmanuel Fokides

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

Data Analysis ◽

Primary School ◽

Religious Education ◽

Religious Beliefs ◽

Positive Attitude ◽

School Level ◽

Educational Context ◽

High School Level ◽

Use Of Technology

This study analyzes the profile of Greek university students who will be teaching courses related to religion when they become practitioners at primary school and high school level, in relation to their views on technology. For this purpose, four factors were examined: religious beliefs, use of technology, attitude towards technology, and their views regarding the use of technology for the dissemination of religious beliefs. The sample comprised of 570 students studying at Departments of Theology and Primary School Education at Greek universities. The data analysis revealed that participants, in general, are not highly religious. Both believers and non-believers seem to have a positive attitude towards technology, which they are willing to use in an educational context. Furthermore, they do not believe that religion and technology contradict each other. The implications of the findings are also discussed.

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THE ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL SUPPORT AND ACTIVITIES WITH HEALTH IN SOUTH KOREA: DIFFERENCES IN AGE AND GENDER

Journal of Biosocial Science ◽

10.1017/s0021932009990563 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 42 (3) ◽

pp. 409-424 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

SANG-SIK MOON ◽

SANG-MI PARK ◽

SUNG-IL CHO

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Older Adults ◽

South Korea ◽

Emotional Support ◽

Older Men ◽

Poor Health ◽

Instrumental Support ◽

Social Activities ◽

Age And Gender ◽

And Gender

SummaryThis study investigated gender difference in the effects of social support, including emotional support and instrumental support (such as help when sick and financial assistance), and social activities on perceived health of middle-aged and older adults in South Korea. Data were acquired from 3771 men and 4954 women aged 40 years and older who participated in the 2005 cross-sectional survey of the Seoul Citizens Health and Social Indicators Survey. Using multiple regression analysis, both age- and gender-specific differences related to social support and engagement in social activities and self-rated poor health were examined. Poor emotional support from close friends, relatives or someone with whom one could talk about worries was strongly associated with poor self-rated health in men, with the greatest effect in older men. Lack of engagement in social activities was associated with self-rated poor health in older adults, especially in older men. Poor instrumental support was associated with perceived poor health only in middle-aged women. As a health improvement strategy for men aged 65 years and older especially, emotional support should be considered. Measures should be considered for encouraging social activities by older adults, particularly older men.

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The Relationship between Functional Health Literacy, Self-Rated Health, and Social Support between Younger and Older Adults in Ghana

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16173188 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (17) ◽

pp. 3188 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Padmore Amoah

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Older Adults ◽

Young Adults ◽

Health Status ◽

Health Literacy ◽

Emotional Support ◽

Functional Health ◽

Functional Health Literacy ◽

Self Rated Health ◽

The Impact

It is well established that health literacy positively affects health outcomes, and social support influences this association. What remains unclear is which aspect of social support (instrumental, informational, and emotional support) is responsible for this effect and whether the influence differs from one population group to another. This study addresses these lacunae. It examines the impact each type of support makes on the relation between functional health literacy (FHL) and self-rated health status among younger and older adults in Ghana. Data were pooled from two cross-sectional surveys, together comprising 521 participants in the Ashanti Region. The results indicated that young adults were more likely to possess sufficient FHL and perceive their health more positively than older adults. While FHL was positively associated with health status, the relation was stronger when young adults received a high level of emotional support. Among older persons, informational support substantially moderated the association between FHL and health status. Thus, social support modifies the relations between FHL and health status among younger and older adults in different ways and to different degrees. Therefore, interventions to improve FHL and health amongst younger and older adults should pay due regard to relevant aspects of social support.

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CHANGES IN SOCIAL SUPPORT AND THE INFLUENCE OF DRIVING CESSATION

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.2767 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S753-S754

Author(s):

Brittany M King

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Older Adults ◽

Social Isolation ◽

Social Engagement ◽

Family Members ◽

Ordinary Least Squares ◽

Least Squares Regression ◽

Driving Cessation ◽

Using Data ◽

Emotional Social Support

Abstract Driving cessation has been shown to be a potentially isolating transition in life, with important implications for mental health, social isolation, and social support. Older adults who live alone are vulnerable to social isolation in the context of driving cessation. Although some research has examined the association between driving cessation and certain kinds of social engagement activities, no research has specifically examined changes in social support, particularly among older adults most vulnerable to social isolation – those who live alone . The present study addresses this gap, using data drawn from the 2006-2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to examine how social support changes in the context of driving cessation among older adults who live alone (N=412). This study specifically focuses on instrumental and emotional social support, and how different sources of the support (children, friends, and other family) are influenced by loss of driving. I use a series of ordinary least squares regression (OLS) to examine four-year changes in various forms of social support among those who live alone, comparing those who lose the ability to drive relative to their continuously driving counterparts. Preliminary results indicate that driving cessation is associated with decline in perceived instrumental support of friends (-0.984, p<01) for older adults who live alone. However, these effects did not extend to children or other family members. These results suggest that loss of driving may perpetuate vulnerabilities facing individuals who live alone by leading to lower levels of perceived support from non-family members.

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THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PHYSICAL FRAILTY AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS: DOES SOCIAL SUPPORT MATTER?

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.3546 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S978-S979

Author(s):

Shuting Liang ◽

Dexia Kong ◽

XinQi Dong

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Family Members ◽

Female Gender ◽

Physical Frailty ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Chinese Older Adults ◽

Interaction Terms ◽

The Relationship

Abstract This research will present the association between physical frailty and depressive symptoms among U.S. Chinese older adults, and the extent to which social support moderates the relationship. Cross-sectional data were obtained from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago collected between 2011 and 2013 (N=3,157). Physical frailty was assessed by the Short Performance Physical Battery (range=0-15). A cut-off point of 6 was used to define physical frailty as suggested by prior research. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire. Social support was measured by a scale assessing positive support and negative strain from spouse, family members, and friends. Logistic regression analyses with interaction terms were conducted. In our sample, 1,682 (54.3%) had depressive symptoms, and 16.1% had physical frailty. Having physical frailty was positively associated with depressive symptoms (Odds Ratio [OR] 1.15, 1.11-1.18). Additionally, female gender (OR 1.39, 1.20-1.61), education (OR 1.03, 1.01-1.04), and chronic conditions (OR 1.18, 1.12-1.25) were positively associated with depressive symptoms. Social support (OR 0.85, 0.83-0.87) and children (OR=0.92, 0.87-.97) were negatively associated with depressive symptoms. Furthermore, family members (OR 0.96, 0.94-0.98) and friends (OR 0.96, 0.94-0.98) has moderating effect on the relationship between physical frailty and depressive symptoms. However, the interaction between social support from spouse and physical frailty was not significant. The findings highlight the interconnections among physical frailty, social support, and depressive symptoms. Intervention strategies focusing on social support may have the potential to reduce depressive symptoms among frail U.S. Chinese older adults.

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Socioeconomic Correlates of Healthy Aging Among Older Cambodians

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1282 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 398-399

Author(s):

Kakada Kuy ◽

Yuekang Li

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Older Adults ◽

Healthy Aging ◽

Scientific Evidence ◽

Family Members ◽

Well Being ◽

World Health ◽

Living Standard ◽

Financial Conditions ◽

The Social

Abstract Healthy aging is one of the most critical goals to attain on the World Health Organization’s global aging agenda for developing countries. However, healthy aging has not been widely studied among the many older adults living in those nations. For example, most of the Cambodia’s economically deprived older adults earn less than a dollar a day, while little scientific evidence is known about their healthy aging situation and their support system. Our study aimed to examine socioeconomic correlates of healthy aging among older Cambodians in three provinces. Data of a sample of older Cambodians ages 60 and above (N=210) from 12 districts were collected. Healthy aging was measured using the Healthy Ageing Index developed based on a Southeast Asian context. We measured social support using the Social Network and Social Support scale. Financial conditions were measured by an index derived from subjective and objective measurements. Multilevel mixed-effects models showed that better social supports from friends and family members, better financial conditions and education were associated with improved health aging among older Cambodians. Supports from friends had a stronger relationship than supports from family members. As one of the first studies examine the social determinants of health among older Cambodians, this study adds to the literature by substantiating the important roles of financial conditions and social support in determining their health and well-being. Findings point to the importance of improving living standard and maintaining social support of the older population in the country.

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Social Support and Living Situation of Older Adults With Hip-Fracture: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.2346 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 618-618

Author(s):

Alexandra Krassikova ◽

Steven Stewart ◽

Jennifer Bethell ◽

Aileen Davis ◽

Katherine McGilton

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Older Adults ◽

Hip Fracture ◽

Emotional Support ◽

Inpatient Rehabilitation ◽

Instrumental Support ◽

Living Situation ◽

Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility ◽

Study Participants ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Sustaining a hip-fracture is a life-changing event negatively affecting older adults. Although, social support is a known determinant of health outcomes, the relationship between social support and living situation of older adults with hip fracture remains under researched. For this study social support is conceptualized using the Finfgeld-Connett framework, where social support is seen as being composed of emotional and instrumental support. The objectives were to examine the relationship between two domains of social support and living situation: 1) after discharge; 2) 3-months after discharge; and 3) 6-months after discharge from an inpatient rehabilitation facility in a sample of older adults with hip fracture. Emotional support was measured as frequency of interaction with someone one week prior to hip fracture, whereas instrumental support was measured as help received in instrumental activities of daily living. Logistic regression was performed to examine the association between social support and living situation. Majority of study participants (N=139) were older (mean age 81.31), female (77.70%), had no cognitive impairment (68.35%), were not married (58.99%), and lived with someone (51.80%) in their own house (71.95%). Older adults with more emotional support were more likely to be discharged home, however little can be said about the effect of the association (OR 6.80, 95% CI 1.08, 22.31, P<.001). Persons receiving more instrumental support had less odds of living at home 3-months (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.21, 0.78; P=.007) and 6-months after discharge (OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.38, 0.91, P=0.017). Social support is important for older adults during recovery.

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