Internet Use as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Personal Resources and Stress in Older Adults: Cross-Sectional Study
Details
Serval ID
serval:BIB_2404F2BFAA89
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Internet Use as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Personal Resources and Stress in Older Adults: Cross-Sectional Study
Journal
JMIR Aging
ISSN
2561-7605
ISSN-L
2561-7605
Publication state
Published
Issued date
19/07/2024
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
7
Pages
e52555
Language
english
Abstract
Internet use has dramatically increased worldwide, with over two-thirds of the world's population using it, including the older adult population. Technical resources such as internet use have been shown to influence psychological processes such as stress positively. Following the Conservation of Resources theory by Hobfoll, stress experience largely depends on individuals' personal resources and the changes in these resources. While personal resource loss has been shown to lead to stress, we know little regarding the role that technical resources may play on the relationship between personal resources and stress.
This study aims to investigate the moderating effect of technical resources (internet use) on the relationship between personal resources and stress in younger and older adults.
A total of 275 younger adults (aged 18 to 30 years) and 224 older adults (aged ≥65 years) indicated their levels of stress; change in personal resources (ie, cognitive, social, and self-efficacy resource loss and gain); and internet use. Variance analyses, multiple regression, and moderation analyses were performed to investigate the correlates of stress.
Results showed that older adults, despite experiencing higher levels of resource loss (questionnaire scores: 1.82 vs 1.54; P<.001) and less resource gain (questionnaire scores: 1.82 vs 2.31; P<.001), were less stressed than younger adults (questionnaire scores: 1.99 vs 2.47; P<.001). We observed that the relationship among resource loss, resource gain, and stress in older adults was moderated by their level of internet use (β=.09; P=.05). Specifically, older adults who used the internet more frequently were less stressed when they experienced high levels of both loss and gain compared to their counterparts who used internet the less in the same conditions. Furthermore, older adults with low resource gain and high resource loss expressed less stress when they used the internet more often compared to those with low internet use.
These findings highlight the importance of internet use in mitigating stress among older adults experiencing resource loss and gain, emphasizing the potential of digital interventions to promote mental health in this population.
This study aims to investigate the moderating effect of technical resources (internet use) on the relationship between personal resources and stress in younger and older adults.
A total of 275 younger adults (aged 18 to 30 years) and 224 older adults (aged ≥65 years) indicated their levels of stress; change in personal resources (ie, cognitive, social, and self-efficacy resource loss and gain); and internet use. Variance analyses, multiple regression, and moderation analyses were performed to investigate the correlates of stress.
Results showed that older adults, despite experiencing higher levels of resource loss (questionnaire scores: 1.82 vs 1.54; P<.001) and less resource gain (questionnaire scores: 1.82 vs 2.31; P<.001), were less stressed than younger adults (questionnaire scores: 1.99 vs 2.47; P<.001). We observed that the relationship among resource loss, resource gain, and stress in older adults was moderated by their level of internet use (β=.09; P=.05). Specifically, older adults who used the internet more frequently were less stressed when they experienced high levels of both loss and gain compared to their counterparts who used internet the less in the same conditions. Furthermore, older adults with low resource gain and high resource loss expressed less stress when they used the internet more often compared to those with low internet use.
These findings highlight the importance of internet use in mitigating stress among older adults experiencing resource loss and gain, emphasizing the potential of digital interventions to promote mental health in this population.
Pubmed
Open Access
Yes
Create date
24/07/2024 11:50
Last modification date
06/08/2024 7:02