Ab1337 the Association of Internet Use and Health Related Quality of Life in Older Adults: Longitudinal Analysis of a Population-Based Cohort

Background: In the context of global ageing, eHealth presents a new opportunity to promote health for everyone and to shift from hospital-based to home-based healthcare. Senior citizens are starting to use digital technologies to support healthcare practices [1] but the impact on physical function and QoL is uncertain [2,3]. Furthermore, the adoption and use of digital technologies can pose various challenges for older adults. Objectives: We aimed to assess the impact of internet use on quality of life and physical function among Portuguese older adults (60+ years) using a prospective analytical approach. Methods: This study included participants aged 60 or over from a nationwide population-based cohort (EpiDoC Cohort) [4] and followed them up to 7 years. The second wave of the EpiDoC cohort was used as the baseline. Being an internet user, the years as user, and length of usage per/week was self-reported. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was measured using the EuroQol 5-dimensions questionnaire, physical function was assessed using the Health Assessment Questionnaire. Linear mixed model and random intercept tobit regression were used to assess the association between internet usage with HRQoL and physical function, respectively. A sensitivity analysis was performed considering years as an internet and frequency of use. Results: This study followed 2272 participants, of which 20.9% reported using internet for an average of 9.5 years. The average internet usage per week was 8.2 hours, and 4.9% of users reported using it for purposes related to their health. There was an association between internet users (β=0.05 [0.02; 0.08]; β=-0.13 [-0.23; -0.02]) and improved HRQoL and physical function over time, respectively, when compared with non-users, adjusting for time from baseline, sex, age, education level, BMI, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, regular exercise and multimorbidity. Sensitivity analysis revealed that being an experienced internet user (≥10 years) vs. a non-user (β=0.06 [0.02; 0.11]; β=-0.22 [-0.36; -0.09]) and being a frequent user (< 14 hours/week) vs. a non-user (β=0.05 [0.02; 0.09]; β=-0.15 [-0.27; -0.04]) was associated with improved HRQoL and physical function over time, respectively. Conclusion: Our results suggest that internet use among older adults is associated with an improvement in HRQoL and physical function. Thus, investing in digital literacy and digital solutions becomes essential for this population. REFERENCES: [1] Arcury, T. A., Sandberg, J. C., Melius, K. P., Quandt, S. A., Leng, X., Latulipe, C., Miller, D. P., Jr, Smith, D. A., & Bertoni, A. G. (2020). Older Adult Internet Use and eHealth Literacy. Journal of applied gerontology: the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society, 39(2), 141–150. https://doi.org/10.1177/073346481880746. [2] Yerrakalva D, Yerrakalva D, Hajna S, Griffin S. Effects of Mobile Health App Interventions on Sedentary Time, Physical Activity, and Fitness in Older Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Med Internet Res. 2019 Nov 28;21(11):e14343. [3] Kraaijkamp JJM, van Dam van Isselt EF, Persoon A, Versluis A, Chavannes NH, Achterberg WP. eHealth in Geriatric Rehabilitation: Systematic Review of Effectiveness, Feasibility, and Usability. J Med Internet Res. 2021 Aug 19;23(8):e24015. [4] Dias SS, Rodrigues AM, Gregório MJ, de Sousa RD, Branco JC, Canhão H. Cohort Profile: The Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases Cohort (EpiDoC). Int J Epidemiol. 2018 Dec 1;47(6):1741-1742j. DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyy185. PMID: 30212889; PMCID: PMC6280929. Acknowledgements: NIL. Disclosure of Interests: Ana Rita Henriques: None declared, Nuno Mendonça: None declared, Helena Canhão: None declared, De Cock Diederik: None declared, Ana Maria Rodrigues Amgen, AstraZeneca, Novartis, AbbVie, Pfizer, MSD, Lilly, and Boehringer Ingelheim.