Ageing in a digital society : an occupational perspective on social participation

• Main Author: Fischl, Caroline
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Umeå universitet, Avdelningen för arbetsterapi 2020
• Subjects: computer; digital competence; digitalization; digital literacy; digital technology; information and communication technology; internet; intervention; occupation; occupational therapy; occupational therapy informatics; older adult; older people; social activities; Arbetsterapi; Northern Sweden
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-169583

Background: For older adults to continue being healthy and active participants in an evolving digitalized society, there is a need to support their social participation through engagement in occupations that they need, want, or are expected to do in accordance to the roles that they assume. Occupational therapists together with other professionals face emerging challenges to promote older adults’ engagement in occupations mediated by digital technology. It is therefore relevant to acquire an understanding about how older adults continue to participate in their daily lives and engage in the occupations within their particular contexts. It is also relevant to explore ways to tailor supports for engaging in contemporary occupations and to measure the outcomes of such supports. Aim: The overall aim of this thesis was to develop knowledge to support older adults’ social participation through engagement in occupations mediated by digital technology. Developing knowledge entailed an exploration of older adults’ engagement in occupations mediated by digital technology (Study I), their contexts surrounding social participation (Study II), and tailoring supports for engagement (Study III). Additionally, part of developing knowledge also entailed an investigation of how outcomes of tailoring – specifically ability to perform occupation mediated by digital technology and ability to manage technology – could be measured and related (Study IV). Methods: Study participants were selected from rural and urban municipalities in Northern Sweden. In Study I, data was gathered through concurrent think aloud protocol and observations of ten older adults, aged 66-79 years, while they engaged in occupations that involved digital technology. Narrative inquiry was used to illuminate features in their occupational engagement and participation in daily life. In Study II, focus group interviews of eighteen older adults, aged 66-81 years, were conducted and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Study III used a multiple case study ...