Digital Technology Use in US Community-Dwelling Seniors With and Without Homebound Status.

Objectives: To examine (1) the prevalence of digital technology use, including information and communication technology devices, everyday technology use, and digital health technology use among community-dwelling older adults with or without homebound status and (2) the associations of digital technology use with homebound status.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting And Participants: We used the 2022 National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) data that included 5510 community-dwelling older adults.

Methods: Digital technology use was assessed using self-reported outcomes of the technological environment component of the NHATS, including information and communication technology devices, everyday technology use, and digital health technology use. Homebound status was measured with 4 mobility-related questions regarding the frequency, independence, and difficulties of leaving home. Survey-weighted, binomial logistic regression was used to examine the associations of 17 technological-related outcomes and homebound status.

Results: Overall, the prevalence of homebound older adults was 5.2% (95% CI, 4.4%-6.1%), representing an estimated 2,516,403 people. The prevalence of digital technology use outcomes varied according to homebound status. The prevalence of any technology used in homebound, semi-homebound, and non-homebound populations was 88.5%, 93.3%, and 98.5%, respectively. Compared with non-homebound older adults, semi-homebound older adults had lower odds of emailing (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.53-0.94), using the internet for any other reason (OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.49-0.99), visiting medical providers (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.48-0.95), and handling insurance (OR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.56-0.99); homebound older adults had lower odds of using a phone (OR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.28-0.59), using any everyday technology (OR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.38-0.89), visiting medical providers (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.35-0.76), and handling insurance (OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.38-0.86).

Conclusions And Implications: Non-homebound older adults are more likely to use digital technology than those who are semi-homebound or homebound. Public health care providers should prioritize efforts to enhance digital inclusion to ensure that all older adults can benefit from the advantages of digital technology.