Data for: Older adults’ use of a research-based web platform for social interaction

<p>
<h3>Project Overview</h3></p>
<p>Loneliness and social isolation are triggers for unfavorable changes in older adults’ health and well-being. Their negative effects can be mitigated by information and communication technology (ICT). However, ICT needs to be customized to the specific needs and conditions of older adults. The aim of this study was to explore older adults’ use of a new web platform for social interaction from the perspectives of direct users, researchers, and social services personnel. The study was an intervention study with a multi-method approach in which 20 older adults used the web platform for social interaction “the Fik@ room” (Fik@rummet in Swedish) for eight weeks.</p>

<p>The Fik@ room is a web platform for older adults’ social interaction adapted for tablets, developed by researchers and co-designed with older adults, municipal social services personnel, and an IT company. The Fik@ room consisted of digital coffee tables, where limitless numbers of tables could be created, with seating for up to four persons per table. The conversations included either video, voice, or chat conversations about topics of the older adults’ own choice. The Fik@ room also included a bulletin board where older adults could post messages and schedule meetings in the Fik@ room or at a physical location. </p>

<p>Quantitative and qualitative data were collected pretest, during the test, and posttest. The Fik@ room met the expectations of those older adults who completed the study. It enabled them to expand their social network and develop new friendships, but their experiences of loneliness were not reduced. The involvement of social services personnel in recruitment and support was important in facilitating older adults’ use of the Fik@ room. This study contributes knowledge about a new, co-designed and research-based web platform, customized specifically for older adults, which is valuable in guiding the design and delivery of future web platforms for social interaction among older adults.</p>

<p>
<h3>Data Collection Overview</h3></p>
<p>The study was conducted in the mid-east of Sweden in two different urban municipalities. The participants included older adults and social services personnel. The inclusion criteria for the older adults were (a) age 60+, (b) experience of loneliness and wishes for increased social interaction/engagement, and (c) living within, or adjacent to, the geographical area of the two respective municipalities. The exclusion criteria for the older adults were (a) having moderate or severe cognitive impairment, and (b) not understanding or speaking the Swedish language.
In total, 66 older adults started participation in the study, and 20 completed the study. In total, 15 social services personnel recruited and supported the older adults during the intervention, together with home-care personnel. Nine social services personnel participated in the post-test workshops.</p>

<p>Quantitative and qualitative data were collected pre-, during and post-test. The older adults’ self-reported experiences of loneliness and social networks were collected pre- and post-test. Their patterns of use and experiences of the support and information provided during the study, navigation, and use of the Fik@ room’s functions were collected post-test. Researchers’ and social services personnel’s notes on older adults’ needs for support were collected during the study. Social services personnel’s experiences of older adults’ use of, and their incentives to participate in, the Fik@ room were collected post-test.</p>

<p>Three workshops (two in Municipality A and one in Municipality B) were held with 3–6 social services personnel in each group in August and September 2021. For practical and pandemic-related reasons, all workshops were conducted digitally via an established video meeting tool. Each workshop lasted two hours and was digitally video recorded. Participation was voluntary, and all informants gave their verbal consent after receiving both verbal and written information. The workshops were moderated by two of the authors with prior experience as moderators of workshops.</p>

<p>
<h3>Selection and Organization of Shared Data</h3></p>
Documentation files include the consent forms for the study, as well as the questionnaires used with the older adult participants (original ones in Swedish and copies translated in English). The data files (all in Swedish) include the older adults’ responses to the questionnaires and the workshop transcripts with the social service personnel – two for municipality A and one for municipality B, respectively.

### 项目概述

孤独感与社会隔绝是老年人健康与福祉恶化的重要诱因，而信息与通信技术（Information and Communication Technology，ICT）可有效缓解其负面影响。然而，ICT需针对老年人的特定需求与个体状况进行定制化开发。本研究旨在从直接使用者、研究人员及社会服务人员的视角，探究老年人使用新型社交互动网页平台的实际情况。本研究属于多方法干预研究，共有20名老年人使用名为“Fik@ room”（瑞典语原称为Fik@rummet）的社交互动网页平台，为期八周。

Fik@ room是一款专为老年人社交互动设计的平板适配型网页平台，由研究人员主导开发，并与老年人、市政社会服务人员及IT公司共同协作完成。该平台设有数字咖啡桌功能，可创建无限数量的桌台，每张桌台最多可容纳四人。参与者可通过视频、语音或聊天的方式，围绕自选话题展开交流。此外，平台还配备公告板模块，老年人可在此发布消息，预约在Fik@ room线上空间或线下实体场所开展聚会。

研究在测试前、测试中及测试后三个阶段收集定量与定性数据。Fik@ room达到了完成本研究的老年人的预期，他们借此拓展了社交网络并建立了新的友谊，但孤独感并未得到显著缓解。社会服务人员参与招募与支持工作，对推动老年人使用Fik@ room起到了关键作用。本研究为针对老年人定制的新型协作式、研究导向型网页平台提供了实证知识，这对指导未来老年人社交互动网页平台的设计与部署具有重要参考价值。

### 数据收集概述

本研究在瑞典中东部的两座城市市镇开展，参与者包括老年人与社会服务人员。老年人的纳入标准为：（a）年满60周岁；（b）存在孤独感且希望增加社交互动或提升社会参与度；（c）居住在上述两座市镇的辖区内或周边区域。老年人的排除标准为：（a）存在中度或重度认知障碍；（b）无法理解或使用瑞典语。总计有66名老年人参与本研究的初始阶段，最终20名完成全部研究流程。共有15名社会服务人员与家庭护理人员一同在干预期间协助招募并支持老年人，其中9名社会服务人员参与了测试后研讨会。

研究在测试前、测试中及测试后三个阶段收集定量与定性数据。在测试前与测试后，收集老年人自行报告的孤独感程度与社交网络状况。在测试后，收集老年人的使用模式、对研究期间提供的支持与信息的使用体验、平台导航操作情况以及对Fik@ room各项功能的使用反馈。研究期间，收集研究人员与社会服务人员关于老年人支持需求的记录。在测试后，收集社会服务人员关于老年人使用Fik@ room的体验以及参与本研究的动机的相关数据。

2021年8月至9月，共举办三场研讨会（市镇A两场，市镇B一场），每场研讨会有3至6名社会服务人员参与。受实际操作与疫情相关因素影响，所有研讨会均通过成熟的视频会议工具线上开展，每场时长两小时，并进行了数字化录像。参与者均为自愿参与，所有受访者在获得口头与书面告知后均给出了口头同意。研讨会由两名具备研讨会主持经验的研究人员主持。

### 共享数据的遴选与组织

文档文件包括本研究的知情同意书，以及用于老年参与者的调查问卷（原始版本为瑞典语，附带英文翻译副本）。数据文件（均为瑞典语版本）包括老年人对调查问卷的作答结果，以及与社会服务人员的研讨会转录文本——其中市镇A两份，市镇B一份。