Assessing Older Adults' Intentions to Use a Smartphone: Using the Meta-Unified Theory of the Acceptance and Use of Technology.

Barriers to smartphone use often exist among older adults, and increasing smartphone use is beneficial to increasing older adults' quality of life. Studies of older adults' smartphone use intentions have mostly adopted the technology acceptance model or unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). However, these models have their limitations. A meta-UTAUT has been developed, but it has not been extensively verified with older adults. This study used the meta-UTAUT model to explore the influences on older adults' smartphone use intentions and behaviors. A total of 311 adults aged 60 to 75 years who had minimal experience with smartphones were recruited. They participated in a 16 h smartphone training and then completed a questionnaire. The results demonstrated that the meta-UTAUT model can predict older adults' smartphone use intentions and behaviors. Performance expectancy (PE) and social influence significantly influenced behavioral intention (BI) and attitude toward using smartphones (AT). PE was the strongest factor influencing BI. AT also affected BI. Although facilitating conditions did not significantly affect BI, they had a high influence on AT. To increase smartphone use among older adults, training can be implemented to teach smartphone skills and emphasize the benefits of using smartphones.

Combined effect of eating alone and a poor nutritional status on cognitive decline among older adults in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Nutritional status is not only associated with older individuals' physical health but also has an impact on their cognitive functioning. Evidence indicates that a socially integrated lifestyle in the later stages of life protects against cognitive decline and dementia. This study tested the combined effect of two hazards, the risk of malnutrition and eating meals alone, on the cognitive changes among a representative sample of older Taiwanese individuals over an 8-year period. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: Data were taken from the Taiwan Longitudinal Survey on Aging. In 1999, 2584 respondents aged >=65 years were surveyed, and follow-up surveys were performed in 2003 and 2007. The Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ) and Mini Nutritional Assessment were used to evaluate participants' cognitive functioning and nutritional status, respectively. Nutritional status and eating alone data assessed at baseline were combined to predict changes in SPMSQ scores longitudinally. Generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate the longitudinal changes from baseline to 2007. RESULTS: Findings suggest that nutritional status was a salient predictor for cognitive decline among the older Taiwanese adults over the 8-year period. Female respondents who had a compromised nutritional status at baseline and who were eating their meals alone exhibited a greater decrease in SPMSQ scores compared with those who had a normal nutritional status and who were eating their meals with others. CONCLUSION: Nutritional programs for the elderly should focus on what they eat as well as who they eat their meals with to prevent social isolation, especially among older women.

Cognitive function and associated factors among older people in Taiwan: age and sex differences.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine cognitive function and the risk and the protective factors by age and sex among Taiwanese older people. METHODS: The data were from a nation-representative panel of older people in Taiwan. The participants completing both the 2003 and 2007 waves were included for analysis in this study (n=3228). Descriptive analysis and generalized linear model were applied, and the samples were stratified by age groups and by sex. RESULTS: The factors related to higher cognitive function at the intercept included being younger, male, higher education, and doing unpaid work. At the time slope, the age effect and physical function difficulties would reduce the cognitive function across time, while education and providing informational support would increase the cognitive function across time. There were age- and sex-differences in the factors related to cognitive function, particularly on the working status and social participation. CONCLUSION: Different health promotion strategies to target these populations should be accordingly developed.