Effects of computer use on the subjective well-being and quality of life (QOL) of older users

Previous studies have not shown a consistent association between computer use and the well-being of older people. The authors assumed that this absence of a causal relationship might be due to the mediation effects of some psychological factors and the limited use of scales for measuring multi-dimensional aspects of well-being. Therefore, this study examined the impact of computer skills, attitudes toward computers, and self-efficacy on the subjective well-being and quality of life (QOL) of older computer users (over 60 years of age). Four hundred respondents completed an online survey. Path analysis revealed that the acquisition of computer skills led to positive attitudes towards computers and a higher sense of self-efficacy, and in turn, these two factors improved life satisfaction and QOL. This relationship was modulated by gender- and skill-based group differences. These findings have implications for improving QOL factors with computer use, and may be useful for developing an effective instructional design for computer training for older people.