The Ageing in a Networked Society -Social Experiment Study

University of Milano Bicocca180 enrolled

Overview

The Ageing in a Networked Society -Social Experiment study (ANS-SE) is a randomised controlled trial on older people residing in Abbiategrasso, a middle-size city located in the Milan area (Italy) and aims to assess the impact of SNS use on loneliness, that is the primary outcome of this study. The study is constituted of two stages, i.e. the baseline and the follow up. The experiment is structured into two treatment groups and a control group; the interventions are the attendance to a course on SNS use (T1) and lifestyle education and brain functioning (T2). The control group (C) is constituted of a waiting list. The study is part of the project "Aging in a networked society. Older people, social networks and well-being", funded by the Italian Fondazione Cariplo.

The objective of the study is to evaluate the short-term and long-term impact of Facebook use on physical and mental health of older people. The experiment is carried out on 180 participants of the Brain Aging in Abbiategrasso Study (InveCe).The InveCE study is a biannual cohort study of older people born between 1935 and 1939 and living in Abbiategrasso, a town near Milan, in northern Italy (NCT01345110, ClinicalTrials.gov). For more information, see http://www.golgicenci.it/en/studio-invece/. Participants are selected among those who agreed to take part in the 4th wave of the InveCe.Ab study. Inclusion and exclusion criteria are specified in the Eligibility box below. The study is constituted of two stages, i.e. the baseline and the follow up. The experiment is structured into two treatment groups and a control group; the interventions are the attendance to a course on SNS use (T1) and lifestyle education and brain functioning (T2). The control group (C) is constituted of a waiting list. Participant are assigned to one of these three groups randomly. Before/after the intervention, researchers administered a questionaire to participants to measure levels of loneliness, depression and neuropsychological functioning (see the box "Outcome Measure" for the description of the scales and measures used), together with a medical examination. The same assessment will be performed after one year. Data collected will be analyzed using statistical techniques in order to evaluate the impact of Facebook use on well-being. The study is part of the project "Aging in a networked society. Older people, social networks and well-being", funded by the Italian Fondazione Cariplo.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 75 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Participants to the third follow-up of the Brain Ageing in Abbiategrasso Study (InveCe.Ab study) * Good mental health * No physical limitations * Good cognitive health * No experience in using Social Networks SItes (SNSs) Exclusion Criteria: * GDS (Geriatric Depression Score) score equal to or greater than 10 (no major depression) * Hands functional limitations * Visual or hearing impairment * Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), * Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) lower than 24 * Used SNS at least one time in life

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Subjective feeling of loneliness

Indicates self feeling of loneliness. Measured with UCLA Loneliness Scale Minimum score: 20; Maximum score: 80 Highest scores indicate greater loneliness (Russell, 1996).

Time frame: Change from basline score at UCLA Loneliness Scale at 2 months

Stroop Test (inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility)

Executive Cognitive Functions measured through the Stroop Test Interference score for time and errors (higher scores worse performance) Score range: n.a. (Cafarra et al., 2002)