The Role of Information and Communication Technologies in Social Participation of Older Adults: A Scoping Review.
Importance: Social participation is essential for healthy aging, supporting older adults' health and well-being. Although information and communication technologies (ICTs) offer promising opportunities, a focused summary of the literature on ICT use for social participation, a distinct aspect of dig...
| Publicado en: | American Journal of Occupational Therapy Vol. 80; no. 1; pp. 1 - 15 |
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| Autores principales: | , , , , , , |
| Formato: | research systematic review tables/charts Journal Article |
| Publicado: |
American Occupational Therapy Association
Jan/Feb2026
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| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=190939634&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 190939634 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 02729490 44I jtl: American Journal of Occupational Therapy issn: 02729490 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Jan/Feb2026 vid: 80 iid: 1 pid: 6680 pub: American Occupational Therapy Association place: North Bethesda, Maryland artinfo: ui: 190939634 190939634 190939634 10.5014/ajot.2025.051273 190939634 ppf: 1 ppct: 14 formats: fmt: – @attributes: type: T – @attributes: type: P tig: atl: The Role of Information and Communication Technologies in Social Participation of Older Adults: A Scoping Review. aug: au: Arieli, Maya Ngo, Vivian Jeyakumar, Saisa Balakumar, Niroja Baig, Natisha Nurgitz, Marya Rotenberg, Shlomit affil: Maya Arieli, PhD, BOT, is Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada sug: subj: Information Technology Telecommunications Social Participation In Old Age Human Scoping Review Literature Review Psycinfo Medline Embase CINAHL Database Checklists Aged Patient Participation Funding Source Aged: 65+ years ab: Importance: Social participation is essential for healthy aging, supporting older adults' health and well-being. Although information and communication technologies (ICTs) offer promising opportunities, a focused summary of the literature on ICT use for social participation, a distinct aspect of digital engagement, has been lacking. Objective: To summarize existing literature on ICT use for social participation among older adults and identify gaps by examining study characteristics, ICT classifications, and associated health variables. Data Sources: PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL were searched for quantitative, nonexperimental studies published from 2016 through 2024. Study Selection and Data Collection: The authors followed the Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review methodology. Findings: Of 9,795 screened articles, 85 met the inclusion criteria. The number of relevant publications has increased over time, with nearly half (47.1%) related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Modes of interaction included social media (72.4%), email (64.5%), text messaging (60.5%), and video calls (53.9%). Most studies assessed communication frequency with family and friends (72.9%), whereas fewer explored meeting new people online (7.1%) or the quality of online participation (5.9%). Social well-being (56.5%) and mental health (43.4%) were the most frequently examined health variables. Conclusions and Relevance: The growing body of research highlights ICTs' role in social participation in later life but reveals key gaps. Research on underrepresented populations, ICTs' potential for expanding social networks, and the quality of online participation remains limited. Inconsistent measurement practices hinder ability to draw conclusions. These gaps point to critical opportunities for future occupational therapy research and practice. Plain-Language Summary: Staying socially connected is important for older adults' health, well-being, and overall quality of life. This review explored how older adults use digital technologies, such as video calls, email, text messaging, and social media, to stay in touch and participate socially. Interest in these technologies has grown in recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most research focused on communication with family and friends; fewer studies examined forming new relationships online or the quality of online interactions. Digital tools can reduce loneliness and support participation, particularly when in-person contact is limited. However, more research is needed to understand usage patterns and the adoption of these tools in daily life, especially among underrepresented groups. This knowledge can help occupational therapy practitioners better support older adults in using technology to promote meaningful social connections. This review explored how older adults use digital technologies, such as video calls, email, text messaging, and social media, to stay in touch and participate socially. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: research systematic review tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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