title: Factors associated with change in Internet usage of Swedish older adults (2004-2010).
abstract: The increased reliance on Internet use in social functions has presumably left out a part of the population: the oldest-older adults. These are people who have not kept themselves up to date with the technological developments for various reasons. There are, however, exceptions from whom we have something to learn. This study investigates the older people in Sweden who started to use the Internet over a period of 6 years. Cognition, extraversion, openness, functional disability, household economy, sex, age and education were investigated in relation to starting to use the Internet. A chi-square test, Spearman correlation and a logistic regression analysis were conducted. It was found that higher cognition, being male and being between the ages of 60 and 80 years were determining factors in starting to use the Internet for the Swedish older adult. Our results indicate that the oldest-older adults are slow to adapt to using the Internet and more attention should be paid on how to support this group.
authors.affiliation: Blekinge Institute of Technology, Sweden. jessica.berner@bth.se
authors.forename: Jessica S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Berner
authors.forename: Mikael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rennemark
authors.forename: Claes
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jogréus
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Berglund
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001292:Attitude to Computers; D003071:Cognition / Q000145:classification*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden
keywords: (Change in) Internet use; Cognition; older adults; social learning