Older Adult Engagement with Facebook® Interventions: A Challenge for Nursing Research

Debra Parker Oliver, Robin L. Kruse, Kyle Pitzer, Karla T. Washington, Lauren T. Starr, Jingxia Liu, Jamie Smith, Lucas Jorgenson, George Demiris

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Facebook® is a popular platform for older adults, especially as they try to stay in contact with their family around the country. It is also a popular platform for hosting online support groups. The readily available, socially acceptable, and free platform holds many advantages not only for older adults but also for nurse researchers designing and implementing interventions for older adults. The literature is void of proven methods to measure individual engagement with the Facebook platform. The current article describes efforts to develop a measurement process and evaluate the impact that engagement with Facebook has on improved mental health outcomes for older adults. Scores were severely skewed and ranged from no engagement to very high engagement. Engagement differed based on sex, race, and living arrangements with patients. Further work in this area is needed if nurse researchers are to consider the role of engagement in social media interventions.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)10-17
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Gerontological Nursing
Volume48
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2022

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