Smartphone use by older adult in the healthy ageing process: a theory based on data.
Adriana Martins Gallo, Juliane Pagliari Araujo, Wanessa Cristina Baccon and 3 others
PMID 39476141WHAT IT FOUND
Older adults described smartphones as helping them feel informed, independent and socially connected, while also fearing scams and exposure.
This qualitative study does not show that smartphone use improves health.
Key findings
01Participants said using a smartphone made them feel more informed, independent and able to connect with people, places, services and information.
02They also reported fear of scams and of excessive personal exposure on social networks.
03The analysis produced two themes: feelings about ageing with technology and recognitions from smartphone use.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study only interviewed older adults who already used smartphones and had joined a digital skills project for at least 6 months, so it says nothing about older adults who do not use smartphones or had less support. Participants came from a community project in southern Brazil and had no cognitive impairment, so the themes may not apply to other countries, cultures or people with cognitive problems. The study did not measure health outcomes or test whether smartphone use causes better ageing. It reports experiences and feelings. The sample was 37 people, and the central category was identified by the 28th interview, but this does not make the findings generalizable. The paper created groups based on family support, but it did not report a comparison of smartphone experiences between those with and without support.
Declared interests
The supplied article text does not include a conflicts of interest or funding statement. The publication types list research support from a non-U.S. government source.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that giving older adults smartphones causes healthier ageing. This study asked 37 older adults about their experiences and did not test an intervention or measure health outcomes.