Cell phone and technology use by octogenarians
Astrid Atlas 1 5 , Marama Muru-Lanning 2 , Simon Moyes 3 , Ngaire Kerse 3 , Santosh Jatrana 41 University of Auckland School of Population Health, General Practice and Primary Health Care, Auckland, New Zealand
2 The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
3 The University of Auckland, School of Population Health, Auckland, New Zealand
4 Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Social Impact, Auckland, New Zealand
5 Corresponding author. Email: astridatlas@yahoo.com
Journal of Primary Health Care 12(1) 35-40 https://doi.org/10.1071/HC19042
Published: 30 March 2020
Journal Compilation © Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners 2020 This is an open access article licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Many countries, including New Zealand, have an aging population and new technologies such as cell phones may be useful for older people.
AIM: To examine cell phone and technology use by octogenarians.
METHODS: Te Puawaitanga O Nga Tapuwae Kia Ora Tonu- Life and Living in Advanced Age: A Cohort Study In New Zealand (LILACs NZ) cohort study data of Māori (aged 80–90 years, 11-year age band) and non-Māori (aged 85 years, 1-year age band) followed for 3 years was used to describe the prevalence among study participants of the use of the internet, cell phones and watching pay-per-view television. Association of these activities with living arrangement, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive respiratory disease and participants’ cognition were examined.
RESULTS: Technology use was relatively low among study octogenarians. Fewer Māori used cell phones and the internet (16% and 6%) than non-Māori (30% and 19%). Māori participants supported only by a pension were less likely to use cell phones than Māori with more income. More men watched pay-per-view television (e.g. SKY) than women. Living alone and having chronic lung disease were associated with not watching pay-per-view television. Participants who used the internet had higher cognition scores than others. Non-Māori women were less likely to watch pay-per-view television and non-Māori on a pension only were less likely to watch pay-per-view television than people on a higher income. Participants who lived alone were less likely to watch pay-per-view.
CONCLUSION: Relatively low use of technology may limit potential for health technology innovation for people of advanced age. Socioeconomic and ethnic disparities will amplify this.
KEYwords: Octogenarians; cell phone; internet; pay-per-view TV; chronic lung disease (CLD); chronic obstructive respiratory disease (CORD); congestive heart failure (CHF); living alone.
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