The Ageing in a Networked Society -Social Experiment Study (ANS-SE)

University of Milano Bicocca

Status: Completed

Conditions: Loneliness; Social Isolation

Treatments: Other: Facebook course; Other: Lifestyle Course

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04242628

2017-0946

Details and patient eligibility

About

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.

Full description

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.

Enrollment: 180 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 75+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

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

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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180 participants in 3 patient groups

Facebook course

Experimental group

Description:

T1 study members attended a three week course (two classes per week) on smartphones and SNS use. Specifically, the course covers the following topics: smartphone use; Facebook use; WhatsApp use, privacy rules and fraud risk prevention using Facebook. Throughout the duration of the intervention, a tutor was available every Tuesday and Thursday to assist T1 participants in using SNSs.

Treatment:

Other: Facebook course

Lifestyle course

Experimental group

Description:

T2 study members attended 5 interactive 90-min meetings on lifestyle education and brain functioning in older people. These meetings covered the following topics regarding good habits for wellbeing at older age: nutrition, brain ageing, physical activity, leisure activities, resources of the city for older people. A goodbye tea was offered after the meetings.

Treatment:

Other: Lifestyle Course

Waiting list

No Intervention group

Description:

Throughout the duration of the intervention, we put C study members on a waiting list; at the end of the intervention, in June 2019, interested group C study members attended the SNSs course (held on June 2019).