Correlation between the Ability to Manipulate a Touchscreen Device and Hand Strength and Manual Dexterity among Community-Living Older Individuals

Information regarding the relationship between the degree of hand function among the elderly as measured by traditional assessments and the ability to manipulate touchscreens is lacking. This study aimed to examine the correlation between the ability to manipulate a touchscreen device, as assessed using the touchscreen assessment tool (TATOO) (University of Haifa, Israel & Universetiy of Bologna, Italy), and hand strength and manual dexterity among independent community-living older individuals. Thirty-four community-living older adults (average age 79.4 ± 6.7 years) participated in single-session assessments lasting 45 min each. The assessment included hand strength measurement using the manual hand dynamometry and hydraulic pinch gauge, a functional dexterity test (FDT), and TATOO. No significant correlations were observed between most of the TATOO items (22 out of 26) and handgrip strength, pinch strength, and FDT results. Moderately significant correlations were demonstrated between the number of drag attempts in the “Drag to different directions” task and handgrip strength and manual dexterity (r value: −0.39, p value: 0.02; r value: 0.36, p value: 0.04, respectively). In addition, a moderately significant correlation was noted between the number of double taps and manual dexterity (r value: 0.32, p value: 0.07). These results indicate that more complex gestures that require greater accuracy (dragging task) or rapid movements (double tapping) are related to hand strength and manual dexterity. These results suggest that the manual gestures necessary for touchscreen operation entail unique and specific capabilities that are generally not captured by traditional tools. The clinical implication is that the hand function assessment toolbox should be expanded. Tools such as the TATOO should be used to capture skills required for touchscreen manipulation in the context of the modern digital milieu.

EXPLORING THE USE OF TOUCHSCREEN DEVICES FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES: DIGITAL VS TRADITIONAL

This research explores the use of touchscreen devices with children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) regarding their engagement with schoolwork. The participant children’s attention, interaction and success with tablet computers and traditional materials were evaluated to fulfil the research aims. The study was conducted in a special needs education institution in Turkey. Video recording and observation were used to collect data. Seven students with different special needs participated in this study. Four sessions were held with each child; two sessions were held with traditional materials, and the other two sessions were held with the touchscreen device. Paired Sample T-Test was used to assess children’s attention and interaction time within two different conditions. Wilcoxon Test was used to analyse the success of children. The results show that the participants’ attention time was longer with the touchscreen device. Children’s interaction time and their success with the device were related to the mobile application. Observation data indicated that not all aspects of the applications were suitable for the students, which negatively affected their learning experience. This study concludes that although an increase of interest in introducing a new tool might have a primary role in the participants’ engagement, digital mobile devices could become indispensable for children with SEND. Therefore, more efforts should be canalised into developing mobile software that is carefully tailored for specific disabilities and individual needs. <p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0729/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Association between the Use of Touchscreen Device and Child Development

Introduction: Early childhood development is related to sensitive period, a spesific period when a child is more easily stimulated by certain environmental stimulation. The right stimulation is needed to achieve good development. The intense use of touchscreen device is thought to potentially be a new form of stimulation that could affect child development. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is an association between the use of touchscreen device and child development. Methods: The design of this study was observational analytic with cross-sectional approach. The sampling technique used in this study was cluster-sampling. Data collection was finished in October 2018 by interviewing the respondents and assessing child development using development pre-screening questionnaire (KPSP). Results: Among 91 samples of this study, the majority (78.0%) had actively operated touchscreen devices by themselves. The result of the Kruskal Wallis test gave a value of p = 0.398 (p > 0.05) with the mean rank of not at all 29.50; only watching 48,53; and operating 46.09. Conclusion: The use of touchscreen device is not significantly associated with children development. Further research needs to be conducted to uncover the effect of touchscreen device on child development.

Benefits and damages of the use of touchscreen devices for the development and behavior of children under 5 years old—a systematic review

Aim Several health organizations have been expressing concern about the amount of time children spend using electronic devices and about the benefits and damages of the use of touchscreen devices, such as smartphones or tablets, for the development and behavior of children under the age of 5. A systematic review was carried out in order to understand the impact of touchscreen device usage toward children’s development and behavior under the age of 5. Methods Using the PRISMA method, from a total of 6314 studies found in online databases, searched in English, between 01/01/2000 and 01/10/2018, 11 studies were selected for analysis. Results The results revealed that, in children under the age of 5, the damages of the use of touchscreen devices are superior to the benefits that may result, especially when there are more hours of screen time. More importance is given to the quality of the child-adult relationship and not to the use of touchscreen devices. Nevertheless, some studies emphasize some aspects that may reduce the negative effects, such as moderate use, less screen time, parental monitoring, and viewing educational programs in an academic environment. Conclusions Guidelines that should be given to parents about the use of touchscreen devices by children are discussed. The limitation of this study was the difficulty in finding studies directed to the desired age and type of electronic device. This may be taken as a potential cause of bias.

Layout Transposition for Non-Visual Navigation of Web Pages by Tactile Feedback on Mobile Devices

In this paper, we present the results of an empirical study that aims to evaluate the performance of sighted and blind people to discriminate web page structures using vibrotactile feedback. The proposed visuo-tactile substitution system is based on a portable and economical solution that can be used in noisy and public environments. It converts the visual structures of web pages into tactile landscapes that can be explored on any mobile touchscreen device. The light contrasts overflown by the fingers are dynamically captured, sent to a micro-controller, translated into vibrating patterns that vary in intensity, frequency and temperature, and then reproduced by our actuators on the skin at the location defined by the user. The performance of the proposed system is measured in terms of perception of frequency and intensity thresholds and qualitative understanding of the shapes displayed.

Cognitive Function and Digital Device Use in Older Adults Attending a Memory Clinic

This study investigated cognitive function in relation to the use of a computer and a touchscreen device among older adults attending a memory clinic. The entire sample ( n = 323) was categorized into four profiles, according to the frequency of digital device use (either daily or non-daily usage). Results showed that on a daily basis, 26% of the sample used both a computer and a touchscreen device, 26.9% used only a computer, 7.1% used only a touchscreen device, and 39.9% used neither type of digital device. There were significant group differences on age, education, and clinical diagnosis ( p < .001). Non-daily users of digital devices had significantly lower performance, compared with daily users of both types of digital device, on measures of global cognitive function, processing speed, short-term memory, and several components of executive function ( p < .001). Falling behind with regard to the use of digital devices might reflect underlying poor cognitive capacities.