The Impact of Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Technology Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic on Health-Related Quality of Life: Observational Cross-sectional Study

Balki, Eric; Hayes, Niall; Holland, Carol

doi:10.2196/41536

Cited by 14 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Our fourth hypothesis explored whether EA would moderate the impact of social isolation on loneliness. The direct effects of social isolation on loneliness in older adults are well established in the literature [ 6 , 8 , 11 , 12 ] and were confirmed in this study. We also saw that despite EA being associated with events in the past, it continued to play a significant role in moderating the impact of social isolation on loneliness.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

“…Several studies have examined loneliness and social isolation during the pandemic; however, this body of literature is still in its infancy, especially in relation to coping strategies among older adults [ 11 , 12 ]. Loneliness, already at high levels among the older adult population globally [ 13 ], is multifaceted and complex.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…TU is a resource that could have mitigated the impact of the pandemic on loneliness, and social isolation is TU [ 11 , 12 ]. Previous studies have consistently highlighted the potential positive impact of TU on well-being, with a reduced probability of social isolation due to an increase in connections and a decrease in loneliness [ 23 - 26 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Indirect Impact of Educational Attainment as a Distal Resource for Older Adults on Loneliness, Social Isolation, Psychological Resilience, and Technology Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Quantitative Study

Balki,

Hayes,

Holland

2023

JMIR Aging

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Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, government-mandated social distancing prevented the spread of the disease but potentially exacerbated social isolation and loneliness for older people, especially those already vulnerable to isolation. Older adults may have been able to draw from their personal resources such as psychological resilience (PR) and technology use (TU) to combat such effects. Educational attainment (EA) or early-life EA may potentially shape later-life personal resources and their impact on the effects of the pandemic lockdown on outcomes such as loneliness. The developmental adaptation model allows for the supposition that social isolation, TU, and PR may be affected by early EA in older adults. Objective This study examined the indirect impact of EA on pandemic-linked loneliness in a sample of older adults. The developmental adaptation model was used as the conceptual framework to view EA as a distal influence on loneliness, social isolation, PR, and TU. We hypothesized that EA would predict TU and PR and have a moderating impact on social isolation and loneliness. We also hypothesized that PR and TU would mediate the effect of EA on loneliness. Methods This was a cross-sectional observational study, in which data were gathered from 92 older adults aged ≥65 years in the United Kingdom from March 2020 to June 2021, when the country was under various pandemic-linked social mobility restrictions. The data captured demographic information including age, gender, ethnicity, and the highest degree of education achieved. The University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, Lubben Social Network Index, and Technology Experience Questionnaire were used as standardized measures. Pearson correlation, moderation, and mediation regression analyses were conducted to investigate the hypotheses. Results We found a higher prevalence of loneliness in older adults than in prepandemic norms. EA was correlated with greater TU and PR and moderated the impact of social isolation on loneliness. PR mediated and TU partially mediated the relationship between EA and loneliness. Conclusions Early-life EA was confirmed as a distal resource for older adults and played an indirect role in affecting loneliness levels during the pandemic. It has an impact on present-day personal resources, such as PR and TU, which affect loneliness and also moderate the impact of social isolation on loneliness. Policymakers should be aware that older adults with low levels of EA may be more vulnerable to the harmful impacts of loneliness when isolated by choice.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Indirect Impact of Educational Attainment as a Distal Resource for Older Adults on Loneliness, Social Isolation, Psychological Resilience, and Technology Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Quantitative Study

Balki,

Hayes,

Holland

2023

JMIR Aging

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“…Such technologies also allow interaction and access to in-person services, such as online shopping and health care. However, technology acceptance, uptake, retention, and use by older adults remain low, with many using them only for short periods [ 6 , 7 ]. In addition, difficulties with actual use (AU) and security concerns [ 8 ] may have lowered acceptance [ 9 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some studies conducted during the pandemic have already demonstrated the benefits of technology for social connectedness in older adults [ 6 , 17 , 18 ]. Even prior to the pandemic, evidence demonstrated the benefits of technology interventions for social connectedness [ 5 , 19 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use and Acceptance of Digital Communication Technology by Older Adults for Social Connectedness During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Mixed Methods Study

Balki¹,

Holland²,

Hayes³

2023

J Med Internet Res

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Background Older adults are at higher risk for health issues, including mental health problems. This was especially apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic, where older adults were simultaneously more vulnerable to the disease and the mental health concerns created by social distancing. Subsequently, the use of digital communication technology (DCT) became a critical option for maintaining social connectedness in older adults. Prior to the pandemic, the low uptake and use of technology by older adults was an established problem, known as the digital divide. However, not much is known about how this may have changed as a result of the pandemic. Objective This study aims to explore how older adults maintained social connectedness through DCT during the pandemic and to understand factors influencing the use and acceptance of DCT. Methods A mixed methods explorative field study was set up, involving surveys and interviews of 25 community-dwelling older adults (65-88 years old) living in the United Kingdom. The surveys included the internet acceptance questionnaire (based on the Technology Acceptance Model [TAM]); COVID-19 dysfunctional anxiety was captured using the COVID-19 Anxiety Scale (CAS). Background information (demographics, use of technology) was gathered before conducting semistructured interviews. We hypothesized that CAS would affect constructs of TAM and that predictive constructs of TAM would have remained valid during the pandemic. We also posited that there would be unidentified themes outside TAM that impacted the acceptance and use of DCT. We used the quantitative data to guide the semistructured interviews, which were then analyzed through thematic analysis to identify additional themes. Results Correlational analysis showed that CAS influences all constructs of TAM. We also saw that the predictive constructs of TAM, especially the perceived ease of use (PEU) and perceived usefulness (PU), remained valid during the pandemic. Common acceptance-influencing themes were encountered in both quantitative and qualitative analyses, with 3 matching the known constructs of TAM (PU, PEU, and behavioral intention). We identified 2 additional themes affecting acceptance, namely influence of the pandemic (situational context) and privacy and security concerns. DCT use (especially email and videoconferencing use) increased during the pandemic, but the results related to social networking sites were mixed. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic impacted technology acceptance and use by older adults, encouraging their use of certain DCT apps (email and videoconferencing apps, such as WhatsApp). These apps helped insulate them from adverse effects (social isolation and loneliness). Other social networking apps, however, exerted a negative influence, increasing anxiety and a general feeling of negativity. Future studies should maximize older adult agency related to design, privacy, security, and user requirements for development. We also recommend that when studying DCT acceptance for older adults, our additional identified themes should be considered alongside the existing TAM constructs.

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Equity implications of COVID-19 on older adults’ mobility: Evidence and examples from South Asia

Jamal,

Menon,

Newbold

2023

Advances in Transport Policy and Planning

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The Impact of Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Technology Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic on Health-Related Quality of Life: Observational Cross-sectional Study

Cited by 14 publications

References 11 publications

The Indirect Impact of Educational Attainment as a Distal Resource for Older Adults on Loneliness, Social Isolation, Psychological Resilience, and Technology Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Quantitative Study

The Indirect Impact of Educational Attainment as a Distal Resource for Older Adults on Loneliness, Social Isolation, Psychological Resilience, and Technology Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Quantitative Study

Use and Acceptance of Digital Communication Technology by Older Adults for Social Connectedness During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Mixed Methods Study

Equity implications of COVID-19 on older adults’ mobility: Evidence and examples from South Asia

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