Associations between internet use, internalized ageism and mental health during COVID-19 pandemic among older adults in the Nordic-Baltic region.

Purpose: Limited internet use and experience of ageism may have made older adults more vulnerable to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, yet studies often lack integration of internalized ageism and regional comparisons. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the associations between internet...

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Publicado en:Quality in Ageing & Older Adults Vol. 27; no. 2; pp. 101 - 112
Autores principales: Gudynaite, Gabriele, Zamalijeva, Olga, Kairys, Antanas, Pakalniskiene, Vilmante
Formato: research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Emerald Publishing Limited 2026
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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        atl: Associations between internet use, internalized ageism and mental health during COVID-19 pandemic among older adults in the Nordic-Baltic region.
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          Gudynaite, Gabriele
          Zamalijeva, Olga
          Kairys, Antanas
          Pakalniskiene, Vilmante
        affil: Faculty of Philosophy, Institute of Psychology, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
      sug:
        subj:
          COVID-19 Pandemic Psychosocial Factors
          Internet Utilization
          Ageism
          Mental Health
          Outcomes (Health Care)
          Human
          Funding Source
          Europe
          Aged
          Cross Sectional Studies
          Descriptive Statistics
          Multiple Logistic Regression
          Logistic Regression
          Odds Ratio
          Confidence Intervals
          Regression
          Data Analysis Software
          Anxiety
          Depression
          Age Factors
          Sex Factors
          Employment Status
          Self Report
          Health Status
          Aged: 65+ years
      ab: Purpose: Limited internet use and experience of ageism may have made older adults more vulnerable to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, yet studies often lack integration of internalized ageism and regional comparisons. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the associations between internet use, internalized ageism and mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic among older adults in the Nordic-Baltic region. Design/methodology/approach: Data from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe Corona Survey 2 was used for this study, including 7263 individuals aged 65 and above from the Nordic and Baltic regions. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to evaluate how internet use and internalized ageism predict anxiety and depressive symptoms among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Control variables included age, gender, having a partner living in the household, employment status and self-rated health. Findings: The study found that limited internet use was associated with depressive symptoms among older adults in the whole sample, while internalized ageism predicted both the depressive and anxiety symptoms. Regional differences were observed: internet use predicted depressive symptoms in the Baltic but not in the Nordic region, while internalized ageism predicted anxiety symptoms in the Baltic but not in the Nordic region. Originality/value: This study provides a unique regional perspective by comparing the Nordic and Baltic regions and also highlights internalized ageism, a less-represented factor in mental health research regarding older adults during the pandemic.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
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      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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