Social participation among older adults in Belgium’s Flanders region: exploring the roles of both new and old media usage

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe media usage of older adults aged 60 and above in the twenty-first century information society is gaining increasing research attention. This research investigates the association between two important aspects in later life, media usage and social participation, among 36,282 home-dwelling adults aged 60 and above in over 138 municipalities of Belgium’s Flanders region. The data are collected through a participatory research method, in which older adults are recruited and trained as research volunteers. Media is categorised into new media (Internet) and traditional/old media (newspaper, TV, community newsletter), while social participation is divided into formal and informal participation. The results of hierarchical linear regression and logistic binary regression analysis show that reading the community newsletter, reading the newspaper, and Internet usage are positively correlated with formal and informal social participation, whereas watching TV shows a negative correlation with both participation forms. Finally, the implications of the association between older adults’ traditional media usage and social participation are discussed.