role of socio-demographic factors in predicting the use of communication technologies by older people in iran

Background the use of communication technologies enables the older people to deal with limitationsand problems of modern life.objective this study aims to determine the socio-demographic factors predicting the use of commoncommunication technologies (computers, internet, atms, and mobile phones) by the elderly in iran.methods in this descriptive analytical study conducted in 2017, participants were 165 older adults fromqazvin, iran who were selected using a cluster sampling method. data collection tools were a demographicchecklist and researcher-made questionnaire for assessing the use of communication technologies.descriptive tests and multivariate regression analysis were used for data analysis.findings the mean age of participants was 68.38±7.89 years. majority of them reported that they do notuse computer (n=127, 77%) and internet services (n=112, 67.9%). the results of multivariate regressionanalysis showed that age (β=-0.209, p=0.002), gender (β=-0.142, p=0.029), educational level (β=0.501,p=0.000), and financial status (β=0.142, p=0.023) were the predictors of the use of common communicationtechnologies by the older adults.conclusion a small percentage of the elderly in iran use computer and internet. therefore, it is veryimportant to hold educational programs for the elderly to get familiar with and use new communicationtechnologies.