Predictors of reported internet use in older adults with high and low health literacy: The role of socio-demographics and visual and cognitive function

Physical and Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics

Volumn 29, Issue 1, 2011, Pages 23-43

  Echt, Katharina V ^a,b   Burridge, Andrea Backscheider ^c  

^a Birmingham Atlanta VA Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center   (United States)

^b EMORY UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^c UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON   (United States)

Author keywords

Aging; cognition; health literacy; Internet; technology; vision; Web

Indexed keywords

EID: 79952270108     PISSN: 02703181     EISSN: 15413152     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.3109/02703181.2010.547657     Document Type: Article

References (73)

1. Atienza, A. A., Hesse, B. W., Baker, T. B., Abrams, D. B., Rimer, B. K., Croyle, R. T., et al. (2007). Critical issues in eHealth research. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 32 (Suppl. 5), S71-S74. (Pubitemid 46634963)
2. Bailey, I. L., Bullimore, M. A., Raasch, T. W., & Taylor, H. R. (1991). Clinical grading and the effects of scaling. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 32, 422-432.
3. Baker, D. W., Williams, M. V., Parker, R. M., Gazmararian, J. A., & Nurss, J. (1999). Development of a brief test to measure functional health literacy. Patient Education and Counseling, 38, 33-42. (Pubitemid 29413035)
4. Baker, L., Wagner, T. H., Singer, S., & Bundorf, M. K. (2003). Use of the Internet and E-mail for health care transformation. JAMA, 289, 2400-2406. (Pubitemid 37430173)
5. Bass, S. B. (2003). How will Internet use affect the patient? A review of computer network and closed internet-based system studies and the implications in understanding how the use of the Internet affects patient populations. Journal of Health Psychology, 8, 25-38. (Pubitemid 36142814)
6. Becker, S. (2004). A study of web usability for older adults seeking online health resources. ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction, 11(4), 387-406. (Pubitemid 40006199)
7. Bernhardt, J. M., & Cameron, K. A. (2003). Accessing, understanding, and applying health communication messages: The challenge of health literacy. In T. L. Thompson, K. Miller, A. Dorsey, & R. L. Parrott (Eds.), Handbook of health communication (pp. 583-605). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
8. Bickmore, T., Pfeifer, L., & Jack, B. (2009, April). Taking the time to care: Empowering low health literacy hospital patients with virtual nurse agents. Paper presented at the CHI 2009, Boston, MA.
9. Birru, M. S., Monaco, V. M., Charles, L., Drew, H., Njie, V., Bierria, T., et al. (2004). Internet usage by low-literacy adults seeking health information: An observational analysis. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 6(3), e25.
10. Browne, B. L., Kohn, S., & Pratarelli, M. E. (2009, November). Examining the use of online health and social resources in adulthood. Presentation at the Gerontological Society of America, Atlanta, GA.
11. Campbell, R. J. (2008). Meeting seniors' information needs: Using computer technology. Home Health Care Management & Practice, 20(4), 328-335.
12. Charness, N., & Boot, W. R. (2009). Aging and information technology use: Potential and barriers. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 18(5), 253-258.
13. Chin, J., Fu, W-T., & Kannampallil, T. (2009). Adaptive information search: Age-dependent interactions between cognitive profiles and strategies. Paper presented at the CHI 2009, Boston, MA.
14. Coughlin, J. F. & Pope, J. (2008). Innovations in health, wellness, and aging-in-place: Development of a consumer-centered approach to intelligent home services. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology, July/August, 47-52.
15. Cresci, K., Morrell, R., & Echt, K. (2004). The convergence of health promotion and the Internet. In R. Nelson & M. J. Ball (Eds.), Consumer informatics in a cyberhealth world (pp. 106-119). New York, NY: Springer & HIMSS.
16. Cresci, K., Yarandi, H. N., & Morrell, R. W. (2010). The digital divide and urban older adults. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 28(2), 88-94.
17. Cutler, S. J., Hendricks, J., & Guyer, A. (2003). Age differences in home computer availability and use. Journal of Gerontology, 58 B, S271-S280. (Pubitemid 37169743)
18. Czaja, S. J., Charness, N., Fisk, A. D., Hertzog, C., Nair, S. N., Rogers, W. A., et al. (2006). Factors predicting the use of technology: Findings from the Center for Research and Education on Aging and Technology Enhancement (CREATE). Psychology and Aging, 21, 333-352. (Pubitemid 44212031)
19. Czaja, S. J., Guerrier, J. H., Nair, S. N., & Laudauer, T. K. (1993). Computer communication as an aid to independence for older adults. Behavior & Information Technology, 12, 197-207.
20. Czaja, S. J., & Lee, C. C. (2007). The impact of aging on access to technology. Universal Access in the Information Society, 5, 341-349. (Pubitemid 46501867)
21. Dickerson, S., Reinhart, A. M., Feeley, T. H., Bidani, R., Rich, E., Garg, V. K., et al. (2004). Patient Internet use for health information at three urban primary care clinics. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 11(6), 499-504. (Pubitemid 39421734)
22. Echt, K. V. (2002). Designing web-based health information for older adults: Visual considerations and design directives. In R. W. Morrell (Ed.), Older adults, health information, and the World Wide Web (pp. 61-88). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
23. Echt, K. V. (2007). Harnessing technology to enhance health literacy in aging. International Journal of Cognitive Technology, 12(1), 45-54.
24. Echt, K. V., & Morrell, R. W. (2003a). Promoting health literacy in older adults: An overview of the promise of interactive technology. Bethesda, MD: National Institute on Aging.
25. Echt, K. V., & Morrell, R. W. (2003b). Health literacy and aging: The promise of interactive technology. Washington, D. C.: National Institute on Aging.
26. Echt, K. V., Morrell, R. W., & Park, D. C. (1998). The effects of age and training formats on basic computer skill acquisition in older adults. Educational Gerontology, 24, 3-25. (Pubitemid 128690792)
27. Echt, K. V., & Schuchard, R. A. (2004, April). The role of vision and cognition in older adults' low health literacy. Paper presented at the 10th Cognitive Aging Conference Atlanta, GA.
28. Ferris, F. L., Kassoff, A., Bresnick, G., & Bailey, I. (1982). New visual acuity charts for clinical research. American Journal of Ophthalmology, 94, 91-96. (Pubitemid 12080556)
29. Fisk, A. D., Rogers, W. A., Charness, N., Czaja, S. J., & Sharit, J. (2004). Designing for older adults: Principles and creative human factors approaches. Washington, DC: CRC Press.
30. Fox, S. (2004). Older Americans and the Internet. Pew Internet and American Life Project. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/pdfs/ PIP Seniors Online 2004.pdf.
31. Fox, S. (2007). E-patients with a disability or chronic disease. Pew Internet and American Life Project. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/~/ media//Files/Reports/2007/EPatientsChronicConditions2007.pdf.pdf.
32. Fox, S., & Jones, S. (2009). The social life of health information. Pew Internet and American Life Project. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet. org/~/media//Files/Reports/2009/PIPHealth2009.pdf
33. Franklin, P. D., Rosenbaum, P. F., Carey, M. P., & Roizen, M. F. (2006). Using sequential email messages to promote health behaviors: Evidence of feasibility and reach in a worksite sample. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 8, e3.
34. Freese, J., Rivas, S., & Hargittai, E. (2006). Cognitive ability and Internet use among older adults. Poetics, 34, 236-249.
35. Gordon, K. S. (2009, July 21). Variation in veterans' access to Internet and email: Potential impact on VHA electronic health communication. VA Information Resource Center (VIReC) Clinical Informatics Cyberseminar.
36. Gray, N. J., Klein, J. D., Noyce, P. R., Sesselberg, T. S., & Cantrill, J. A. (2005). The Internet: A window on adolescent health literacy. Journal of Adolescent Health, 37, 243.e241-243.e247.
37. Haegerstrom-Portnoy, G., Brabyn, J. A., Schneck, M., & Jampolsky, A. (1997). The SKILL card: An acuity test of reduced luminance and contrast. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 38(1), 207-218. (Pubitemid 27051539)
38. Harris, J., Rogers, W., & Qualls, C. (1998). Written language comprehension in younger and older adults. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 41, 603-617. (Pubitemid 28299853)
39. Hickman, J. M., Rogers, W. A., & Fisk, A. D. (2007). Training older adults to use new technology. Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 62 B (Special Issue 1), 77-84.
40. Holt, B. J., & Morrell, R. W. (2002). Guidelines for Web site design for older adults: The ultimate influence of cognitive factors. In R. W. Morrell (Ed.), Older adults, health information, and the World Wide Web (pp. 109-132). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
41. Horrigan, J. B. (2008). Home broadband adoption. Washington, DC: Pew Internet & American Life Project.
42. Kaiser Family Foundation. (2005). E-health and the Elderly: How seniors use the Internet for health information: Key findings from a national survey of older Americans. Retrieved from http://www.kff.org.
43. Kerschner, P. A., & Hart, K. C. (1984). The aged user and technology. In R. E. Dunkle, M. R. Haug, & M. Rosenberg (Eds.), Communications technology and the elderly: Issues and forecasts (pp. 135-144). New York: Springer.
44. Kressig, R. W., & Echt, K. V. (2002). Exercise prescribing: Computer application in older adults. The Gerontologist, 42(2), 273-277. (Pubitemid 34266721)
45. Laberge, J. C., & Scialfa, C. T. (2005). Predictors of web navigation performance in a life span sample of adults. Human Factors, 47(2), 289-302. (Pubitemid 47046843)
46. Levinthal, B. R., Morrow, D. G., Tu, W., Wu, J., & Murray, M. D. (2008). Cognition and health literacy in patients with hypertension. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 23(8), 1172-1176.
47. Mansfield, J. S., Ahn, S. J., Legge, G. E., & Luebker, A. (1993). A new reading-acuity chart for normal and low vision. Ophthalmic and Visual Optics/Noninvasive Assessment of the Visual System Technical Digest, 3, 232-235.
48. Mayhorn, C. B., Stronge, A., McLaughlin, A., & Rogers, W. A. (2004). Older adults, computer training, and the systems approach: A formula for success. Educational Gerontology, 30(3), 185-203. (Pubitemid 38422482)
49. McNeill, L. H., Puleo, E., Bennett, G. G., & Emmons, K. M. (2007). Exploring social contextual correlates of computer ownership and frequency o5 use among urban, low-income public housing adult residents. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 9(4), e35.
50. Mead, S. E., Lamson, N., & Rogers, W. A. (2002). Human factors guidelines for web site usability: Health oriented web sites for older adults. In R. W. Morrell (Ed.), Older adults, health information, and the World Wide Web (pp. 89-107). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
51. Meyer, B. J. F. (1987). Reading comprehension and aging. In K. W. Schaie (Ed.), Annual review of gerontology and geriatrics (Vol. 7, pp. 93-116). New York: Springer.
52. Meyer, B. J. F., Young, C., & Bartlett, B. (1989). Memory improved: Enhanced reading comprehension and memory across the life-span through strategic text structure. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
53. Morrell, R. W. (Ed.). (2002). Older adults, health information and the World Wide Web. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
54. Morrell, R. W., Mayhorn, C. B., & Bennett, J. (2000). A survey of World Wide Web use in middleaged and older adults. Human Factors, 42, 175-182.
55. Morrell, R. W., Mayhorn, C. B., & Echt, K. V. (2004). Why older adults use and do not use the Internet. In D. Burdick & S. Kwon (Eds.), Gerontology: Research and Practice in Technology and Aging (pp. 71-85). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company, Inc.
56. Morrell, R. W., Echt, K. V., Caramagno, J. & McGeehan, D. (in press). Older adults and the Internet: 2010. To appear in International Journal of Cognitive Technology, forthcoming.
57. Murden, R. A., McRae, T. D., Kaner, S., & Bucknam, M. E. (1991). Mini-mental state exam scores vary with education in blacks and whites. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 39(2), 149-155.
58. Norman, C. D., & Skinner, H. (2006). eHealth literacy: Essential skills for consumer health in a networked world. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 8(2), e9.
59. Nurss, J. R., Parker, R. M., Williams, M. V., & Baker, D. W. (2000). Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults: Technical Report. Atlanta, GA: Georgia State University.
60. Peacock, S. E., & Künemund, H. (2007). Senior citizens and Internet technology: Reasons and correlates of access versus non-access in a European comparative perspective. European Journal of Ageing, 4(4), 191-200. (Pubitemid 350131191)
61. Rogers, W. A., Meyer, B., Walker, N., & Fisk, A. D. (1998). Functional limitations to daily living tasks in the aged: A focus group analysis. Human Factors, 40, 111-125. (Pubitemid 28194527)
62. Shea, K., Shih, A., & Davis, K. (2007). Health care opinion leaders' views on the quality and safety of health care in the United States. New York: The Commonwealth Fund.
63. Stronge, A. J., Rogers, W. A., & Fisk, A. D. (2006). Web-based information search and retrieval: Effects of strategy use and age on search success. Human Factors, 48, 443-446.
64. Taha, J., Sharit, J., & Czaja, S. J. (2009). Use of and satisfaction with sources of health information among older Internet users and nonusers. The Gerontologist, 49(5), 663-673.
65. Viswanath, K., & Kreuter, M. W. (2007). Health disparities, communication inequalities, and eHealth. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 32, S131-S133. (Pubitemid 46634962)
66. Web Accessibility Initiative (2008). Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. available at http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG/accessed on April 30, 2010.
67. Watson, G. R., & Echt, K. V. (2010). Aging and vision loss. In A. L. Corn & A. J. Koenig (Eds.), Foundations of low vision: Clinical and functional perspectives (pp. 871-916). New York: AFB Press.
68. Watson, G. R., Whittaker, S., & Steciw, M. (1995). The pepper visual skills for reading test (2nd ed.). Lilburn, GA: Bear Consultants.
69. Wechsler, D. A. (1981). Manual for the Wechsler adult intelligence scale-revised. New York: Psychological Corporation.
70. Woodcock, R. W. (1998). Woodcock reading mastery tests-revised examiner's manual. Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service, Inc.
71. World Health Organization (WHO). (1998). Health promotion glossary. Health Promotion International, 13(4), 349-364.
72. Zachary, R. A. (2000). Shipley institute of living scale: Revised manual. Los Angeles, CA: Western Psychological Services.
73. Zarcadoolas, C., Blanco, M., Boyer, J. F., & Pleasant, A. (2002). Unweaving the Web: An exploratory study of low-literate adults' navigation skills on the World Wide Web. Journal of Health Communication, 7(4), 309-324. (Pubitemid 41002657)