Introduction
Supporting older adults’ digital engagement requires an understanding of how occupational performance and technology use are related, as well as having a range of methods that can assist ...occupational therapists while observing occupational performance and management of technology. The study objectives were to investigate how older adults’ ability to perform digital technology-mediated occupations and ability to manage digital technology could be measured and to examine the association between these two abilities.
Method
Twenty-five older adults were observed performing digital technology-mediated occupations and managing digital technologies, and were scored on two instruments: the Assessment of Computer-Related Skills and the Management of Everyday Technology Assessment. FACETS was used to generate respective multifaceted Rasch measurement models for scores on the instruments. The Spearman correlation test was used to investigate correlation between person ability measures from respective Rasch models of the instruments.
Results
The results include item, occupation, and technology difficulty estimates, as well as person ability measures that could illustrate older adults’ ability to perform occupations and to manage technology. There is also a strong positive correlation between these abilities.
Conclusion
Insight into an older person’s ability to manage technology can provide information about his or her ability to perform digital technology-mediated occupations and vice versa.
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NUK, OILJ, SAZU, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
Background: As the use of everyday technology is increasingly important for participation in daily activities, more in-depth knowledge of everyday technology use in relation to diagnosis and gender ...is needed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the stability of the perceived challenge of a variety of everyday technologies across different samples of varying diagnoses including both males and females.
Methods: This cross-sectional study used 643 data records from clinical and research samples, including persons with dementia or related disorders, acquired brain injury, intellectual disability, various mental or medical disorders, and adults without known diagnoses. The Everyday Technology Use Questionnaire, comprising 93 everyday technology artifacts and services (items) measuring the level of everyday technology challenge and relevance of and perceived ability to use these was used for data gathering. A two-faceted Rasch model in combination with differential item functioning (DIF) analyses were used for comparing item hierarchies across samples.
Results: Only three items (3.2%) demonstrated a clinically relevant DIF by gender, and nine items (9.7%) by diagnosis.
Discussion: The findings support a stable hierarchy of everyday technology challenge in home and community that can facilitate planning of an accessible and inclusive society from a technological departure point.
Implications for Rehabilitation
The ability to manage everyday technology is increasingly important for participation in everyday activities at home and in the community for people with and without disabilities.
This study demonstrates that differences in perceived challenges in using various everyday technologies across gender and diagnosis are minimal.
The findings provide evidence of no or minor systematic bias in testing when using the Everyday Technology Use Questionnaire in clinical practice and research.
Empirical knowledge about the perceived challenge of specific everyday technologies of people with variations in gender or diagnosis is still sparse, hence this study can inspire practice and future research.
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IJS, NUK, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
Increasingly, literature has focused on community participation in places visited by persons living with and without dementia. Earlier research indicates that multiple factors, including ...socio-demographic aspects and risk perception may influence community participation.
This cross-sectional, explorative study aims to inquire into how places visited, socio-demographic aspects and risks perception are associated with self-rated community participation for persons living with and without dementia (n = 70) in Switzerland. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews with questionnaires (ACT-OUT, MoCA, sociodemographic). First, we investigated whether the number of places visited was correlated with self-rated participation; then we added socio-demographic and risks perception factors with a bivariate analysis; and searched for a model using multinomial logistic regressions.
For the group of participants living with dementia, risks of falling (p = .014) and of getting lost (p = .037) were significantly associated with self-rated participation. For the group of participants living without dementia, visiting places outside the home was significantly associated with self-rated participation, especially visiting places in domain D/places for recreational and physical activities (p = .005).
The results of exploring multiple factors and searching for a model highlights the complexity of community participation as a construct. Risks and visiting places for recreational and physical activities seem to play a role in self-rated participation. Mobile interviews might be better suited to gain in-depth understanding on community participation for persons living with dementia.
Introduction
Older persons with cognitive impairment have often been disregarded in providing information on their own perceptions. This study explored the number of relevant everyday technologies ...and the ability to use everyday technologies as perceived by persons with cognitive impairment in comparison with their proxies’ estimates using the Short Everyday Technology Use Questionnaire.
Method
In this cross-sectional study, persons with cognitive impairment (n = 21) and their proxies (n = 21) were interviewed on separate occasions with the Short Everyday Technology Use Questionnaire, which measures the number of relevant everyday technologies and the ability to use everyday technologies. The data were analysed with t-tests, z-comparisons, and Fisher’s exact test. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05.
Results
At the group level, no significant differences were found between persons with cognitive impairments’ perceptions and their proxies’ estimates regarding the number of relevant everyday technologies or the ability to use everyday technologies.
On the individual level, significant differences were found in the ability measures within four out of the 21 dyads.
Conclusion
The persons with cognitive impairment and their proxies verified each other’s responses, providing evidence that persons with cognitive impairment should be the primary source for information about their own everyday technology use.
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NUK, OILJ, SAZU, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
There is limited empirical knowledge about how older adults living with dementia enact their social citizenship through out-of-home participation. This study aimed: (a) to investigate out-of-home ...participation among older adults with and without dementia in four countries and (b) to compare aspects of stability or change in out-of-home participation. Using a cross-sectional design, older adults with mild-to-moderate dementia and without dementia, aged 55 years and over, were interviewed using the Participation in ACTivities and Places OUTside the Home questionnaire in Canada (n = 58), Sweden (n = 69), Switzerland (n = 70), and the United Kingdom (n = 128). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a two-way analysis of variance. After adjustment for age, diagnosis of dementia and country of residence had significant effects on total out-of-home participation (p < .01). The results contribute to policies and development of programs to facilitate social citizenship by targeting specific activities and places.
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NUK, OILJ, SAZU, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The health-promoting qualities of participation as an opportunity for social and cognitive engagement are well known. Use of Everyday Technology such as Smartphones or ATMs, as enabling or disabling ...factors for out-of-home participation is however under-researched, particularly among older people with and without dementia. Out-of-home participation involves participation in places and activities outside of a person's home, in public space. Situated within the context of an increasingly technological society, the study investigated factors such as perceived risks, access to a concession travel pass and use of Everyday Technologies, and their relationship with out-of-home participation, among older people in the UK.
One hundred twenty-eight older people with and without dementia in urban and rural environments in the UK, were interviewed using the Participation in ACTivities and Places OUTside Home (ACT-OUT) Questionnaire and the Everyday Technology Use Questionnaire (ETUQ). Associations between Everyday Technology use, perceived risk of falling, functional impairment, access to a concession travel pass and out-of-home participation were investigated using ordinal regression.
A higher probability of Everyday Technology use (Odds Ratio OR = 1.492; 95% Confidence Interval CI = 1.041-1.127), perceived risk of falling outside home (OR = 2.499; 95% CI = 1.235-5.053) and, access to a concession travel pass (OR = 3.943; 95% CI = 1.970-7.893) were associated with a higher level of out-of-home participation. However, other types of risk (getting lost; feeling stressed or embarrassed) were not associated with out-of-home participation. Having a functional impairment was associated with a low probability of a higher level of out-of-home participation (OR = .470; 95% CI = .181-1.223). Across the sample, 'outside home' Everyday Technologies were used to a higher degree than 'portable' Everyday Technologies which can be used both in and outside home.
The study provides insights into perceived risks, access to a concession travel pass and use of Everyday Technologies, and their relationship with out-of-home participation, among older people in the UK. Increased knowledge about factors associated with out-of-home participation may help to guide targeted health and social care planning.
Introduction
Knowledge is lacking of how technological development has affected
occupational engagement and performance. Changes in the environment, for
example, new technology, are likely to create ...changes in the dynamics of
occupations and exploring this among older adults is especially important.
This study aimed to explore what can drive and hinder the incorporation of
everyday technology into occupations and how new technology affects
occupational engagement and performance among older adults.
Method
A constructivist grounded theory methodology was applied. Data were collected
by individual interviews with six women and five men between the ages of 67
and 92 years old. Participants also varied as regards their cognitive
function and living conditions.
Results
The findings concerned the match between technology and the participants'
perceptions of occupational purposes, needs of control and safety, and the
kind of technology user they strived to be. A good match was a driving force
for technology usage and satisfaction with the altered occupations and vice
versa.
Conclusion
Occupational engagement and performance in relation to technology use can be
facilitated, which is useful knowledge for stakeholders developing and
implementing new technology, as well as those who encounter older adults
with the needs or desire to use technology in their daily occupations.
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NUK, OILJ, SAZU, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
Self-monitoring is crucial to raise awareness for own behaviors and emotions, and thus facilitate self-management. The composition of self-monitoring within interventions, however, varies and ...guidelines are currently unavailable. This review aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of technology-based self-monitoring interventions that intend to improve health in middle-aged and older adults (>45 years).
Five online databases were systematically searched and articles were independently screened. A narrative synthesis of 26 studies with 21 unique interventions was conducted. Primary focus lay on the composition of self-monitoring within interventions, including technology used, health-aspects monitored, and type of feedback provided. Secondly, the usability of/adherence to the self-monitoring treatment, intervention effects, and their sustainability were examined.
Studies concentrated on middle-aged adults (mean of 51 years). Mobile technologies seem necessary to ensure flexible self-monitoring in everyday life. Social health aspects were rarely monitored. Mechanisms and the sustainability of intervention effect are understudied.
Digital self-monitoring technologies hold promise for future trials as they seem suitable to understand and support health-related self-management. Key elements including automatic and personal feedback following the blended care principle were highlighted and may guide study designs. Prospectively, research is especially needed to study sustained self-monitoring to support disease prevention and lasting lifestyle changes.
•Digital self-monitoring interventions for middle-aged and older adults show great diversity.•Mobile technologies (e.g. smartphones) are needed for flexible self-monitoring.•Social health aspects (e.g. social networks/company) are rarely monitored.•Mechanisms and sustainability of intervention effects are understudied.•More research is needed on prevention and lasting lifestyle changes.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Research into older people's use of remote controls, mobile phones, digital home appliances, and computerized communication systems reveals that many have difficulty accessing and using these ...everyday technologies. By using occupational justice theory as a lens onto this technological development, we argue in this commentary that critical analysis of the findings from an occupational perspective reveals systematic injustices that disadvantage certain sectors of the older population. In particular we propose that, contrary to what might be expected, diagnosis or disability is not the sole marker for a vulnerable population at high risk of occupational injustices. Rather, the empirical findings support that other aspects (e.g., economic, educational) may also be influencing both everyday technology access and use among the older population. In light of these concerns, we argue that (a) occupation-centred outcome measures are needed to target everyday technology populations at risk of occupational injustices, and (b) future studies evaluating the access and use of everyday technology among older people must also monitor and target socio-demographic diversities.
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