Everyday technology use among older adults in Sweden and Japan: A comparative study

As context may impact everyday technology (ET) use it is relevant to study this within different contexts.

To examine the usefulness of the Everyday Technology Use Questionnaire (ETUQ) in different contexts by investigating and comparing (1) the level of challenge of ETs in the ETUQ and (2) the relevance of and perceived ability to use ET in samples of Swedish and Japanese older adults.

The Swedish and the Japanese samples (n = 86/86) were interviewed using the ETUQ about relevance of and perceived ability to use ET. Data were analyzed using Rasch analysis, chi square and a general linear model. Moreover, Differential Item Functioning (DIF) was investigated.

The hierarchy of ETs' level of challenge was generally stable in the two contexts. On group-level, the relevance was somewhat higher and the perceived ability to use ET significantly higher in the Swedish sample than in the Japanese.

The similarities and differences between the technological landscapes of Sweden and Japan could be detected by ETUQ, demonstrating its usefulness in both countries. The potential causes to the differences in relevance of and perceived ability to use ET between older adults in Sweden and Japan need further exploration.