Do websites contain factors to aid older adults’ adoption of health-related information and communication technology?

ABSTRACT

Background: This study assessed how and to what extent the current health-related information and communication technology (ICT) sites have provided factors that increase older adults’ intention to use them.

Methods: The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used as a theoretical framework.

Results: Based on the systematic analysis of 120 sites targeting older adults, we found that about half the sites (49.2%) did not provide any key factors on either the first-level page or the second level. Although about 16% of sites contained perceived usefulness (PU), few sites provided perceived ease of use (PEOU). The results also revealed differences in the types of organizations, showing that more government-owned sites provided TAM-related factors and social media links than did non-profit sites or privately owned sites.

Conclusion: We found that health-related ICT sites for older adults have not contained TAM-related components to encourage older adults to use ICT sites.

KEYWORDS:

• Health-related Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
• digital divide
• technology acceptance model (TAM)
• perceived usefulness (PU)
• perceived ease of use (PEOU)

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributors

Hannah Kang (Ph.D., University of Kansas) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Politics and Communication Studies at Hannam University in Daejeon, South Korea. Her research interests focus on media and message effects of advertising/public relations and health communication such as direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising, food advergames targeting children, and cause-related marketing. Her scholarly work has appeared in Health Communication, Journal of Health Communication, International Journal of Advertising, Journal of Promotion Management, American Journal of Health Promotion, Journal of Consumer Affairs, and Howard Journal of Communications.

Soontae An (Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) is a Professor in the Division of Communication and Media at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea. Her research centers on various advertising issues such as pharmaceutical advertising, commercial speech, and food advertising targeting children and health communication. She has published in the Journal of Advertising, Journal of Advertising Research, Psychology and Marketing, International Journal of Advertising, Health Communication, Journal of Health Communication, Health Marketing Quarterly, Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, Journal of Media Economics, Communication Law and Policy, Journal of Promotion Management, and Journal of Consumer Affairs.

Notes

1 National Council on Aging, Senior Fitness.com, Virginia Cooperative Extension, The Arthritis Foundation, Bright Focus Foundation, CDC on Aging, healthinAging.org, Go4Life from the National Institute on Aging at NIH, 50Plus.org, The Vegetarian Resource Group, Eat Right Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Psychology Information Online.

2 The Senior Reading Room, NCOI-National Council on Aging, Future of Ageing, IOA blog, Better Heath While Aging, Aging Options Blog, Aging Wisely.

3 NIH Senior Health, MedLine Plus Seniors’ Health, CDC on Aging, Health and Age, Alliance for Aging Research, American Federation for Aging Research, Eldercare Locator, National Council on Aging, National Senior Games Association, Mental Health America, UW Medicine Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, Alzheimer’s Association, The Arthritis Foundation, Bright Focus Foundation, Eat Right Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

4 NCOI-National Council on Aging, IOA blog, Senior Care Corner, Future of Ageing.

5 CDC on Aging.

6 CDC on Aging.

7 IOA blog.

8 C-Health Seniors’ Health.

9 Better Health While Aging.

10 C-Health Seniors’ Health, National Council on Aging.

11 NIH Senior Health, MedLine Plus Seniors’ Health, C-Health Seniors’ Health, RocketSwag.com, Health and Age, National Council on Aging, American Federation for Aging Research, healthinAging.org, Medicare, Go4Life from the National Institute on Aging at NIH, American Senior Fitness Association, Senior Fitness.com, The Vegetarian Resource Group, howstuffworks.com, American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, Dementia.com, Psychology Information Online, American Psychiatric Association, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Mental Health America, Merck Manual, Alzheimer’s Association, National Osteoporosis Foundation, Bright Focus Foundation, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, webmd.com, healthlinkBC.

12 Wiser Now, Better Than I Ever Expected, The Senior Reading Room, Diabetic Seniors Blog, NCOI- National Council on Aging, ASA American Society on Aging, Senior Care Corner, Future of Ageing, Health in Aging, IOA blog, Better Heath While Aging, Boca Home Care Services, The Caregivers’ Living Room – A Blog By Donna Thomson, Active and Engaged Seniors-Samvedna Senior Care, Deborah Fins Associates, Science of Aging, Healthy and Productive Ageing, The Upside to Aging.

13 NIH Senior Health, Verywell.com Senior Health, C-Health Seniors’ Health, Health and Age, National Council on Aging, HelpGuide.org, Alliance for Aging Research, American Federation for Aging Research, Eldercare Locator, Go4Life from the National Institute on Aging at NIH, American Senior Fitness Association, National Senior Games Association, Senior Fitness.com, The Vegetarian Resource Group, Eat Right Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, howstuffworks.com, American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, seniormentalhealth.org, Dementia.com, Psychology Information Online, American Psychiatric Association, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Mental Health America, Merck Manual, UW Medicine Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, Alzheimer’s Association, National Osteoporosis Foundation, The Arthritis Foundation, Bright Focus Foundation, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, webmd.com, healthlinkBC.

14 NCOI- National Council on Aging, ASA American Society on Aging, Senior Care Corner, IOA blog, Better Health While Aging, Council on Aging, Aging Options Blog, Boca Home Care Services, Active and Engaged Seniors-Samvedna Senior Care, David Solie: Aging Parents Insights, Aging Wisely.

15 Senior Fitness.com.

16 Go4Life from the National Institute on Aging at NIH, Alzheimer’s Association.

17 Senior Care Corner.

18 Bright Focus Foundation.

19 Health and Age, The Arthritis Foundation.

20 Aging in Place Technology Watch blogs.

21 The Arthritis Foundation.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea Grant funded by the Korean Government (NRF-2016-S1A3A2924582) .