Computer device and phone utilization trends among a cohort of older adults

• Published in: Alzheimer's & dementia Vol. 16; no. S11
• Main Authors: Bouranis, Nicole, Gothard, Sarah, Mattek, Nora, Kaye, Jeffrey
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.12.2020
• ISSN: 1552-5260; 1552-5279
• DOI: 10.1002/alz.046249

Background Surveys assessing rates of technology adaptation among older adults are cross‐sectional in nature, but few studies assess usage among a single older adult cohort. This study analyzes rates of computer device utilization among community‐dwelling older adults age 62 and older who are enrolled in longitudinal technology studies at the Oregon Center for Aging and Technology in Portland, Oregon. Method We reviewed four years of data (2016‐2019) from a cohort of 113 community‐dwelling individuals age 62 and older and two years of data (2018‐2019) for 158 community‐dwelling low‐income individuals, veterans and spouses of veterans age 62 and older enrolled in a different study. We identified trends in computer device and phone ownership and utilization. Basic descriptive statistics were analyzed. Result Among the first cohort there was an increase in the percentage of older adults who own multiple devices (59.7%, up from 37.2%) and a decrease of those who use a desktop computer as their primary device (16.9%, down from 45.2%) between 2016 and 2019. The percentage of participants who own a landline decreased (75.3%, down from 86.7%) while those who own a cell phone increased (84.4%, up from 71.7%). The percentage of participants who do not use a cell phone decreased (8.3%, down from 24.8%). There was an increase in the percentage of participants who own a cell phone with internet access (64.1%, up from 48.1%) and text messaging capabilities (64.1%, up from 43.2%). Among the second cohort, the percentage of people who use desktops, laptop, and smartphones remained constant, but there was an increase in tablet users (37.3%, up from 21.5%) between 2018 and 2019. Conclusion These findings indicate a shift from using landlines and desktop computers and an increase in the use of smartphones and tablets among older adults. The majority of older adults own multiple devices and use mobile devices. These findings have implications for communication styles, application development and data collection in studies that analyze computer usage among older adults. Future analyses will include data from the 2020 survey and identify and compare trends among demographic groups, including age, gender, locality, veteran status, and socioeconomic status.