Enactment and use of information and the media among older adults

Information resource orchestration during the COVID-19 pandemic: A study of community lockdowns in China

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has created significant challenges for people worldwide. To combat the virus, one of the most dramatic measures was the lockdown of 4 billion people in what is believed to be the largest quasi-quarantine in human history. As a response to the call to study information behavior during a global health crisis, we adopted a resource orchestration perspective to investigate six Chinese families who survived the lockdown. We explored how elderly, young and middle-aged individuals and children resourced information and how they adapted their information behavior to emerging online technologies. Two information resource orchestration practices (information resourcing activities and information behavior adaptation activities) and three mechanisms (online emergence and convergence in community resilience, the overcoming of information flow impediments, and the application of absorptive capacity) were identified in the study.

Contrary to Myth, Older Adults Multitask With Media and Technologies, But Studying Their Multitasking Behaviors Can Be Challenging

Background and Objectives

The study's objective was to explore older adults' (aged 65 or older) descriptions of behavior related to multitasking with traditional and newer media/information and communication technologies (ICTs) and perceived benefits of such behavior, along with older adults' preference for research methods used to study their multitasking behaviors. Employing common media-use measures that heavily rely on self-reporting in populations of older adults is challenging, especially given that patterns of media/ICT use are becoming increasingly complex. Cumulatively, people spend more time using media than they are aware of because of the tendency to use some forms of media simultaneously. As cognitive ability deteriorates with age, self-reported recollection of complex patterns of media/ICT use, such as multitasking, among older adults increases the threat to data accuracy.Research Design and Methods:  Twenty-eight community-dwelling older adults in a Midwestern U.S. state participated in in-depth interviews (average length was 40 minutes) to discuss their use of traditional and newer media/technologies in combination with other activities and outline methods researchers should use to study such behaviors.

Results

Participants reported they engaged in multitasking behaviors similar to those of younger generations, with the difference in the higher extent of using traditional media and ICTs. They talked about multitasking with radio and television for "background noise" as being a rewarding experience. They perceived the effects of multitasking to be detrimental to attention and performance and attributed this media-use habit to individual psychological and demographic differences. They preferred ethnographic observation and keeping a paper-and-pencil diary as research methods to study multitasking among their peers. Data-logging methods were less popular because they raised privacy concerns among interviewees.

Discussion and Implications

Different types of traditional and newer media and technologies could be used differently in situations that require older adults to focus, relax, or be efficient. The findings suggest that future researchers strive for a compromise between data access and data accuracy when they select a research method to study media use among older adults.

Dementia-friendly design of television news broadcasts

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand factors that affect viewing of television news programmes by people living with dementia, and to identify dementia-friendly design principles for television news programmes and factors for personalising object-based media broadcast.

Design/methodology/approach

Extensive public involvement comprising two discussion groups with people with dementia and family carers informed the study design and provided supplementary secondary data. Primary data collection comprised a focus group interview with people with dementia (n=4) and family carers (n=4). Past viewing experiences and perceived barriers and facilitators to viewing television were explored. Participants commented on an array of video clips comprising varying segments of fictional news programmes, plus control versions of each segment.

Findings

Four themes were identified: content (general comments, context, type of media and pace); presenter (body language, clothing and accent); background (location and studio appearance); and technical aspects (graphics, sound, colours, camera, transitions, general issues).

Research limitations/implications

Limitations included a modest sample size which is offset by exemplary public involvement in informing the study design.

Practical implications

Measures ensured research involvement and participation was made accessible to people living with dementia.

Social implications

Participants benefited from sharing views with peers and expressed enhanced wellbeing from knowing their participation could lead to improved television viewing, an important social occupation, for people with dementia in the future.

Originality/value

This study is the first to be published which focusses on dementia-friendly television news programmes.

The personal active aging strategies of older adults in Europe: a systematic review of qualitative evidence

BACKGROUND

There is a consensus that the aging population is beginning to impact on many facets of our life. They have more medical problems and the potential to "drain" the focus of the medical community, as well as national budgets with their accompanying medical bills. Personal strategies related to active aging will help us to better understand and identify how older adults in Europe prepare themselves for the natural process of aging and what are their personal approaches to active aging.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this review was to synthesize the best available evidence regarding the older adult's perspective on the personal strategies related to active aging among older adults in Europe.

INCLUSION CRITERIA TYPES OF PARTICIPANTS

This review considered studies that included older adults (age over 55 years) who live in Europe.

PHENOMENA OF INTEREST

This review considered studies that investigated older adults' perspectives on (any) personal strategies related to active aging.

CONTEXT

Europe (considering "some similarity" in health care systems and retirement policies).

TYPES OF STUDIES

This review considered any qualitative designs.

SEARCH STRATEGY

A three-step search strategy was used to identify published and unpublished studies. The extensive search process was conducted in October 2014 and considered published and unpublished studies from the inception of databases until October 2014. Studies published in any language which had an abstract in English, Czech and Slovak languages were considered for inclusion in this review.

METHODOLOGICAL QUALITY

Studies were appraised for methodological quality by two independent reviewers using the Joanna Briggs Institute Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument (JBI-QARI).

DATA EXTRACTION

Data were extracted from the papers included in the review by two independent reviewers using the standardized JBI-QARI data extraction tool.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Data synthesis was performed using the meta-aggregation approach of meta-synthesis recommended by the Joanna Briggs Institute.

RESULTS

Fourteen studies were included in this systematic review. From these 14 studies, 42 findings were extracted; findings were synthesized into four categories: (1) positive approach to life, (2) mental, social and physical activities, (3) adaptation, and (4) financial independence. Categories were synthesized into two synthesized findings: (1) if older adults adapt to changing situations and choose a positive attitude, they can find an active way to live and also a mission and meaning in their lives, (2) if older adults learn new activities, participate in exercise, keep balanced relationships and manage their financial resources, they will stay mentally, socially and physically active, and also financially responsible.

CONCLUSIONS

If older Europeans learn new activities, participate in exercise, keep balanced relationships and manage their financial resources, they will stay mentally, socially and physically active, and also financially responsible.