Page 45 - IJPS-11-1

International Journal of
Population Studies Age, gender, internet and older adults’ cognition

create ambiguous understandings of the role of Internet 2.2. Measure
use on cognition and how gender and age moderate the • Cognition. The dependent variable, cognition, was
effect. measured by a reduced version of the Telephone

1.4. The current study Interview for Cognitive Status (TIC) (Brandt et al.,
1988). Cognition in this study was a composite
The positive impact of Internet use on cognition among score of immediate (0 – 10) and delayed word recall
middle-aged and older adults has been well-documented (0 – 10), Serial 7s (0 – 5), backward counting (0 – 2),
and it is evident that those benefits diminish as age date naming (month, day, year, day of week; 0 – 4),
increases, due to a decrease in cognitive capacity to use the object naming (scissors and cactus; 0 – 2), naming
Internet. Considering the role of age as a moderator, and the President (0 – 1) and Vice President of the United
the mixed findings on the moderating effect of gender, the States (0 – 1). It ranged from 0 to 35, with higher score
purpose of this study is to explore the interaction between indicating higher cognition.
Internet use, age, and gender on cognitive functioning. • Internet use. The independent variable, Internet use,
Specifically, the following research questions will be was measured by a single question. Participants were
explored: (1) Does age moderate the association between asked to report “How often do you use a computer for
Internet use and cognition? (2) Does the relationship differ e-mail, Internet, or other tasks?” Response options
between older men and older women? were reversely coded as 1 = Never/not relevant,
2. Data and methods 2 = Not in the last month, 3 = At least once a month,
4 = Several times a month, 5 = Once a week, 6 = Several
2.1. Study samples times a week, and 7 = Daily.
A study sample was drawn on from the 2016 Wave, the most • Age. Age was the first moderator in this study. It was a
recent available data, in the Health and Retirement Study continuous variable, ranging from 50 years old.
(HRS). HRS is a nationally representative longitudinal • Gender. Gender was the second moderator. It was
panel study of the United States (U.S.) individuals aged measured dichotomously (0 = Men, 1 = Women).
over 50 years older and their spouses. Questions about • Covariates. Based on previous studies, socioeconomic
participants’ health, family structure, retirement plan, factors, health behaviors, and health-related variables
were included in this study. Socioeconomic factors
financial situation, subjective well-being, and lifestyles
were asked. HRS is funded by the National Institute on included race, marital status, and years of education.
Aging (grant number NIA U01AG009740) and conducted Race (0 = White, 1 = Non-white) and marital status
by the University of Michigan. HRS has been approved (0 = Others, 1 = Married or partnered) were measured
by the Institutional Review Board at the University of dichotomously, and years of education were measured
Michigan and the National Institution on Aging. continuously. Health behaviors included frequency
of doing light physical activities, moderate physical
Two separate files – leave-behind questionnaire activities, and vigorous physical activities per week;
(LB Questionnaire) and RAND HRS Longitudinal File current smoking status; and the amount of drinks per
2016 – were merged based on the identification variable. week. Participants were asked to report “How often
Regarding focal variables, Internet use was drawn from do you take part in sports or activities that are mildly
the LB Questionnaire; cognition, age, and gender were energetic, such as vacuuming, laundry, and home
from the RAND file. All covariates were drawn from the repairs?” Response options were 1 = Never, 2 = One to
RAND file. In the 2016 Wave, 20,912 adults participated three times per month, 3 = Once per month, 4 = More
in the interview. Among the 10,238 participants who than once per month, 5 = Every day. Questions about
were eligible for the Left-Behind Questionnaires, 6,338 moderate physical activities and vigorous physical
participants aged over 50 completed and returned their activities were asked, “How often do you take part in
questionnaires. Thus, the final analysis sample was 6,338. sports or activities that are moderately energetic, such
Bivariate analysis showed there were more men, ethnic as gardening, cleaning the car, walking at a moderate
minorities, and middle-aged and older adults living in pace, dancing, floor or stretching exercises?” and
poverty and not married/partnered in the non-responders. “How often do you take part in sports or activities that
Furthermore, compared with responders, non-responders are vigorous, such as running or jogging, swimming,
were younger, had less education, higher depression levels, cycling, aerobics or gym workout, tennis, or digging
lower cognitive functioning score, more difficulties in with a spade or shovel?” Responses to these two
activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities questions were measured the same way as the light
of daily living (IADL). physical activities. Participants were asked “Do you

Volume 11 Issue 1 (2025) 39 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.3119