article · Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics
A study of 895 community-dwelling older adults aged 60 and above in Accra, Ghana, investigated how subjective age relates to social activity and whether information technology ability mediates this connection. The findings reveal that subjective age is positively linked with social activity, with general information technology ability serving as a partial mediator. However, three specific domains of technology ability, which include internet use assessment, packaged software use assessment, and innovativeness attitude, do not independently mediate this relationship. Subjective age also positively associates with overall information technology ability and each of its three domains. Additionally, general technology ability is positively linked to social activity, whereas the separate subdomains are not. Consequently, levels of social activity and technological ability among older adults appear to depend on their subjective age.
Understanding the drivers of social engagement in later life is essential for promoting wellbeing. This study demonstrates that how old an individual feels influences their social participation, partly through their competence with digital technology. These insights help clarify how self-perception and digital skills interact, which is valuable for designing community interventions aimed at keeping older populations socially connected and digitally included.
This work represents early-stage cross-sectional research rather than an applied technology. The findings could inform the design requirements of digital interfaces, communication tools, and digital literacy programmes tailored to older adults. Potential users include social service providers, gerontology practitioners, and developers of age-friendly communication platforms. However, the abstract does not indicate a direct commercialisation pathway or an existing product, meaning practical application remains at a conceptual stage.
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BACKGROUND: The association between subjective age and social activity has been reported in the extant literature, but whether this association is mediated by information technology ability and its domains (i.e., internet use assessment, packaged software use assessment, and innovativeness attitude) has not been examined. AIM: To assess the association between subjective age and social activity and to ascertain whether this association is mediated by information technology ability. METHODS: This study adopted a cross-sectional design characterising sensitivity analyses and common methods bias. The participants were 895 community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years or higher in Accra, Ghana. We measured subjective age, information technology ability, and social activity with previously validated Likert scales, each of which was internally consistent at a Cronbach's α ≥0.7. The data were analysed with partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and hierarchical linear regression (HLR) analysis. RESULTS: Subjective age was positively associated with social activity, and this association was partially mediated by information technology ability but none of the three domains of information technology ability mediated this relationship. Subjective age was positively associated with information technology ability and its three domains. Information technology ability (but not its domains) was positively associated with social activity. CONCLUSION: Older subjective age was associated with higher social activity through information technology ability. Social activity and information technology ability levels among older adults depend on subjective age, which has implications for ageing and gerontology as reported in this paper.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2022.104790
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