IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i7p4148-d783990.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Social Capital Mediates the Association between the ICT Usage and Well-Being of Older People in Japan: Implication for a New Design Paradigm

Author

Listed:
  • Keisuke Kokubun

    (Smart-Aging Research Center, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan)

  • Toshimi Ogawa

    (Smart-Aging Research Center, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan)

  • Ryan Browne

    (Smart-Aging Research Center, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan)

  • Takamitsu Shinada

    (Smart-Aging Research Center, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan)

  • Lorenz Granrath

    (Smart-Aging Research Center, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan)

  • Johanna Moeller

    (Archdiocesan Caritas Association for the Archdiocese of Cologne, 50676 Cologne, Germany)

  • Nhu Tram

    (AGE Platform Europe, 1150 Brussels, Belgium)

  • Rainer Wieching

    (Information Systems and New Media, University of Siegen, 57068 Siegen, Germany)

  • Yasuyuki Taki

    (Smart-Aging Research Center, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
    Department of Aging Research and Geriatric Medicine, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan)

Abstract

As the population ages, the question of how to prevent isolation among older people and increase their well-being becomes a social issue. It has often been argued that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) usage can be a solution to these challenges, but empirical studies have not shown consistent results. Moreover, there are even fewer studies targeting older people in Japan, which is the most aging country in the world. Therefore, using the psychological comprehensive data of Japanese people aged 60 and over recorded in World Values Survey Wave 7, we conducted a study to clarify the relationship between the ICT usage, social capital, and well-being of older people to make a meaningful contribution to policymakers and the scientific community. As a result of the analysis, it was shown that ICT usage indirectly enhances well-being by increasing social capital. This indicates that for older people, ICT usage does not have a large effect on enhancing well-being, but becomes sufficiently large only through the improvement of social capital. The pros and cons of such modern communication means should be utilized as a reference when considering the development of future communication means and a human coach—a person who supports the use of communication means by older people. In other words, to think about the spread of communication means to community-dwelling older people in the future, it is always necessary to think about technology usage emphasizing the relationship between older people and society.

Suggested Citation

  • Keisuke Kokubun & Toshimi Ogawa & Ryan Browne & Takamitsu Shinada & Lorenz Granrath & Johanna Moeller & Nhu Tram & Rainer Wieching & Yasuyuki Taki, 2022. "Social Capital Mediates the Association between the ICT Usage and Well-Being of Older People in Japan: Implication for a New Design Paradigm," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-20, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:7:p:4148-:d:783990
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/7/4148/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/7/4148/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kawachi, I. & Kennedy, B.P. & Glass, R., 1999. "Social capital and self-rated health: A contextual analysis," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 89(8), pages 1187-1193.
    2. Levasseur, Mélanie & Richard, Lucie & Gauvin, Lise & Raymond, Émilie, 2010. "Inventory and analysis of definitions of social participation found in the aging literature: Proposed taxonomy of social activities," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(12), pages 2141-2149, December.
    3. John Lynch & George Smith & Marianne Hillemeier & Trivellore Raghunathan & George Kaplan & Mary Shaw, 2001. "Income Inequality, the Psycho-social Environment and Health Comparisons of Wealthy Nations," LIS Working papers 269, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    4. James Raymo, 2015. "Living alone in Japan: Relationships with happiness and health," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 32(46), pages 1267-1298.
    5. Veenstra, Gerry, 2000. "Social capital, SES and health: an individual-level analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 50(5), pages 619-629, March.
    6. Nancy Morrow-Howell & Jim Hinterlong & Philip A. Rozario & Fengyan Tang, 2003. "Effects of Volunteering on the Well-Being of Older Adults," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 58(3), pages 137-145.
    7. Barbara Barbosa Neves & Fausto Amaro & Jaime R. S. Fonseca, 2013. "Coming of (Old) Age in the Digital Age: ICT Usage and Non-Usage among Older Adults," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 18(2), pages 22-35, May.
    8. Poortinga, Wouter, 2006. "Social relations or social capital? Individual and community health effects of bonding social capital," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(1), pages 255-270, July.
    9. Hey Jung Jun & Myoung-Yong Kim, 2017. "What Accounts for the Relationship Between Internet Use and Suicidal Ideation of Korean Older Adults? A Mediation Analysis," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 72(5), pages 846-855.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Engström, Karin & Mattsson, Fredrik & Järleborg, Anders & Hallqvist, Johan, 2008. "Contextual social capital as a risk factor for poor self-rated health: A multilevel analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(11), pages 2268-2280, June.
    2. Baron-Epel, Orna & Weinstein, Ruth & Haviv-Mesika, Amalia & Garty-Sandalon, Noga & Green, Manfred S., 2008. "Individual-level analysis of social capital and health: A comparison of Arab and Jewish Israelis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(4), pages 900-910, February.
    3. Amanda R. Carrico & Heather Barnes Truelove & Nicholas E. Williams, 2019. "Social capital and resilience to drought among smallholding farmers in Sri Lanka," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 155(2), pages 195-213, July.
    4. Giordano, Giuseppe Nicola & Björk, Jonas & Lindström, Martin, 2012. "Social capital and self-rated health – A study of temporal (causal) relationships," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(2), pages 340-348.
    5. Ball, Kylie & Cleland, Verity J. & Timperio, Anna F. & Salmon, Jo & Giles-Corti, Billie & Crawford, David A., 2010. "Love thy neighbour? Associations of social capital and crime with physical activity amongst women," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(4), pages 807-814, August.
    6. Sirven, Nicolas, 2006. "Endogenous social capital and self-rated health: Cross-sectional data from rural areas of Madagascar," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(6), pages 1489-1502, September.
    7. Vrangbæk, Karsten & Scheele, Christian Elling & Kriegbaum, Margit, 2018. "Voluntary associations and co-production of health promoting activities for older adults: Experiences and policy lessons from Denmark," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(11), pages 1255-1259.
    8. Zhenhua Zheng & Hong Chen & Liu Yang, 2019. "Transfer of Promotion Effects on Elderly Health with Age: From Physical Environment to Interpersonal Environment and Social Participation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-15, August.
    9. Lorenzo Rocco & Elena Fumagalli & Marc Suhrcke, 2014. "From Social Capital To Health – And Back," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 23(5), pages 586-605, May.
    10. Nauenberg, Eric & Laporte, Audrey & Shen, Leilei, 2011. "Social capital, community size and utilization of health services: A lagged analysis," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 103(1), pages 38-46.
    11. Fiorillo, Damiano & Sabatini, Fabio, 2015. "Structural social capital and health in Italy," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 17(C), pages 129-142.
    12. Damiano Fiorillo, 2016. "Workers’ health and social relations in Italy," Journal of Economic Studies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 43(5), pages 835-862, October.
    13. Sirven, Nicolas & Debrand, Thierry, 2008. "Social participation and healthy ageing: An international comparison using SHARE data," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(12), pages 2017-2026, December.
    14. Sabatini, Fabio, 2014. "The relationship between happiness and health: Evidence from Italy," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 178-187.
    15. Zhongsheng Wu & Angela Bies, 2021. "Volunteering and Self-Rated Health in Urban China: New Evidence from Analyses of Treatment-Effects Models," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(5), pages 2185-2201, October.
    16. Schultz, Jennifer & O'Brien, A. Maureen & Tadesse, Bedassa, 2008. "Social capital and self-rated health: Results from the US 2006 social capital survey of one community," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(4), pages 606-617, August.
    17. Beaudoin, Christopher E., 2009. "Bonding and bridging neighborliness: An individual-level study in the context of health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(12), pages 2129-2136, June.
    18. Poortinga, Wouter, 2006. "Social capital: An individual or collective resource for health?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 292-302, January.
    19. Ali, Sadiq M. & Merlo, Juan & Rosvall, Maria & Lithman, Thor & Lindström, Martin, 2006. "Social capital, the miniaturisation of community, traditionalism and first time acute myocardial infarction: A prospective cohort study in southern Sweden," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(8), pages 2204-2217, October.
    20. Damiano Fiorillo & Nunzia Nappo, 2017. "Formal volunteering and self-perceived health. Causal evidence from the UK-SILC," Review of Social Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 75(2), pages 112-138, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:7:p:4148-:d:783990. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.