A Study of the Problems and Needs of Information and Communication Technology Use Among the Elderly in Surin Province.

Abstract

A Study of Problems and Needs of Information and Communication Technology Use among the Elderly in Surin Province. The objectives were twofold: 1) to examine the conditions, problems, and needs for ICT utilization among the elderly in Surin Province, and 2) to compare their perceptions regarding these aspects based on gender, age, education level, and income. The sample consisted of 400 elderly individuals in Surin Province, selected through stratified sampling. Data collection utilized a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire with an overall reliability coefficient of 0.95. Data analysis included frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, and one-way ANOVA.

The findings revealed that the elderly in Surin Province exhibited moderate levels of ICT utilization and needs, particularly for social interaction purposes. However, they also encountered some challenges in ICT usage, especially in the realm of social interaction. Furthermore, statistically significant differences (p < .05) were observed between groups of elderly individuals with varying gender, age, education level, and income in terms of their conditions, problems, and needs for ICT utilization, except around entertainment, where no age-related differences were found.