Relationship between Social Isolation, ICT, and Socializing among Older Men Living in an Urban Area during the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Public Health Nursing Vol. 12; no. 2; pp. 99 - 108
• Main Authors: Hirano, Michiyo, Tomura, Yumi, Tone, Hanami, Nakao, Nagisa, Ishizuki, Shiho, Seo, Ayako
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japan Academy of Public Health Nursing 2023; 一般社団法人 日本公衆衛生看護学会
• Subjects: COVID-19 pandemic; ICT usage; ICT利用; older men; social isolation; socializing; 人づきあい; 新型コロナウイルス; 男性高齢者; 社会的孤立
• ISSN: 2187-7122; 2189-7018
• DOI: 10.15078/jjphn.12.2_99

Objective: The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between social isolation, information and communication technology (ICT), and socializing among older men living in an urban area during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: An anonymous survey was conducted with 900 man participants aged 65–79 years. The survey items included ICT usage, socializing status, and social isolation. Binomial logistic regression analysis was conducted on two groups, which were established based on social isolation: non-social isolation and social isolation.Results: A total of 442 responses were collected, of which 435 were valid. The factors significantly related to non-social isolation were frequency of telephone use (odds ratio [OR]=1.23), e-mail use (OR=1.19), and face-to-face conversations (OR=1.21). There was also “some association” (OR=4.16) and a “close association” (OR=4.80) with an “almost none” degree of neighborliness.Discussion: The results indicated that face-to-face interactions with familiar people to feel connected and interactive communication via telephone and e-mail were effective in preventing social isolation among older men during the COVID-19 pandemic.