Information and Communication Technology Use in Older Adults: A Unidirectional or Bi-directional Association with Cognitive Function?

Previous research on older adults' information and communication technology (ICT) use has shown that cognitive function is linked with ICT use; however, the direction of influence has been yet to be determined. The current study examined the temporal sequence of ICT use and cognitive performance. Using three waves (2013, 2015, and 2017) from the National Health and Aging Trends Study, a total of 3,904 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 and above were selected for the analysis. Two cognitive domains were considered: episodic memory and executive function. Reciprocal 4-year lagged associations between ICT use and each cognitive domain were examined, controlling for covariates (age, gender, education, race/ethnicity, and depression). Greater use of ICT was significantly associated with memory performance, B (SE) = .19 (.01), p < .001, and executive function, B (SE) = .26 (.01), p < .001, in following years. Reciprocally, episodic memory predicted ICT use, B (SE) = .02 (.01), p < .001, 2 years later. However, the cross-lagged effect of executive functioning on ICT use was not significant, B (SE) = .00 (.01), p = .14. These results suggest the direction of the association between ICT use and cognitive performance might vary depending on the cognitive domain.