AGE AND INCOME INFLUENCE THE DIGITAL PROFICIENCY BY ELDERLY PEOPLE FROM BRAZILIAN NORTHEAST

Abstract

Purpose: In Brazil, the total of people aged 65 or more is 22.169.101, representing 10.9% of the population and an increase of 57.4% in comparison to 2010 when it was 14.081.477 or 7.4% of the population. Elderly people in Brazil are those aged 60, population that represents 32.113.490 (15.6%), an increase of 56,0% in comparison to 2010, when it was 20.590.597 (10.8%) (IBGE, 2022). Population aging is a global phenomenon. This change can also be seen in the age composition of poverty in Brazil, especially in northeast region. In 2020, 69% of elderly brazilians lived with personal income monthly of up to 2 basic salary (BS) (SNF, 2021). The fast progress of technologies is also a global phenomenon. Technology is inserted in many contexts of life, like health, mobility, leisure, housing, etc (Raymundo, 2019). Despite being an advantage in contemporary times, it is also a challenge for elderly people who had less contact with technology throughout their lives (Raymundo, 2019) and who are exposed to context of social exclusion. The main goal of this research is show if the proficiency in cell phone use by elderly people is impaired by age range and income range. Method: Cross-sectional study approvaled by ethics committee. Recife is a city of Pernambuco state, in Brazilian northeast and Recife is divided in 8 health districts (zones), but the research was made in the sociability groups for elderly people in health district 4 with support of city hall. The health district 4 has 13 neighborhood. A health district is a minimum organizational unit of the Brazilian health system. Sociodemographic questionnaire (age range and income range) and Mobile Proficiency Questionnaire (MPDQ), validated for Brazilian Portuguese (Raymundo, 2024) were used to data collect. The age range was: 60-69, 70-79 and over 80 years old. The income range was: less 1 BS, 1 BS, 1.1-3 BS and more than 3 BS. The MPDQ, Mobile device basics (MPDQb), has 9 questions and each one receive score from 1 to 5 points (range 9-45 points). Kruskal-Wallis test was done to compare the groups. Results and discussion: The total of 311 elderly people participated of the study, 268 women (86%) and 43 men (14%). The mean of MPDQb in sample was score 30.5. People aged 60-69, n=159 and MPDQb score=31.8±8.1; 70-79, n=130 and MPDQb score=29.5±7.8 and over 80 years old, n=22 and MPDQb score=26.2±6.1. Kruskal-Wallis test=p=0.0005, people aged 60-69 years have MPDQb score significantly higher than people aged 70-79 and over 80 years old, post hoc Dunn test=p<0.05. People with income less than 1BS, n=12 and MPDQb score=28.9±6.9; 1BS, n=91 and MPDQb score=28.2±9.5; income of 1.1-3BS, n=133 and MPDQb score=29.9±7.5 and more than 3BS, n=75 and MPDQb score=34.4±5.5. Kruskal-Wallis test=p<0.0001. People with income over 3BS have MPDQb score significantly higher score than others income range, post hoc=Newman-Keuls test p<0.05. Age and income influence the MPDQb, probaly because people with advanced age had less contact with technologies throughout their lives and the lowest income increase the social exclusion and digital exclusion as well (Raymundo, 2019).