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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| Promoting older adults' well-being through internet training and use | | Author(s) | N Shapira, A Barak, I Gal |
| Journal title | Aging & Mental Health, vol 11, no 5, September 2007 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis, September 2007 |
| Pages | pp 477-484 |
| Source | http://www.tandfonline.com |
| Keywords | Well being ; Information technology ; Computers ; Learning capacity ; Training [elderly workers] ; Israel. |
| Annotation | The psychological impact of learning how to use a computer and the Internet in old age was tested, by hypothesising that such activities would contribute to older people's well-being and personal sense of empowerment. Using a quasi-experimental research design, the authors offered a course conducted in small groups, in computer operation and Internet browsing to 22 older Israelis (mean age 80) who went to day care centres or lived in nursing homes. A comparison group of 26 participants (similar in all major respects) was engaged in other activities. Both groups were administered measures of physical functioning, life satisfaction, depression, loneliness, and self-control at pre- and post-intervention 4 months later. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants who finished the computer course. ANOVA was used for controlling the effects of control variables and pre-intervention differences on participants who completed the activities. Results showed a significant improvement among participants in the intervention group in all measures except physical functioning, whereas deterioration in all measures was detected in the comparison group. Computer and Internet use seems to contribute to older people's well-being and sense of empowerment by affecting their interpersonal interactions, promoting their cognitive functioning and contributing to their experience of control and independence. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-080327202 A |
| Classmark | D:F:5HH: UVB: 3O: DE: GF: 7H6 |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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