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Access and Use of Information and Communication Technologies to Promote Active Ageing: For What? For Whom?

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The Internet and Health in Brazil

Abstract

Considering the specificities and demands arising from demographic changes, this chapter analyzes dimensions and aspects of the access and use of information and communication technologies to promote active ageing. Inserted in the interdisciplinary field of science, technology, and society (STS), we show from a review of studies and research (1) the importance of access to and difficulties arising from health information seeking, (2) some strategies adopted by elderly people using social networks, (3) the development of new capabilities and competencies for elderly people to access and use ICTs autonomously and independently, (4) the emergence of public policies and strategies for the socio-educational inclusion of the elderly population, and (5) the relevance of studies on the use of gerotechnological technologies pointing to new alternatives for the promotion of active ageing.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The World Health Organization (WHO) defines the elderly person according to their chronological age, so that a person of 60 or above in a developing country is considered elderly, whereas in developed countries, this age is 65 years old or more (WHO 2002).

  2. 2.

    The population with more wealth and education are found in the southeast, center-west, and southern regions of Brazil.

  3. 3.

    Chapter 6 addresses the theme of virtual communities of patients.

  4. 4.

    The issue of online citizen participation is addressed in Chap. 5.

  5. 5.

    Chapter 10 discusses the theme of health information on the Web.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gerontology, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil

    Wilson José Alves Pedro

  2. Department of Nursing, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil

    Márcia Niituma Ogata

  3. Department of Occupational Therapy, Federal University of the Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Brazil

    Heloísa Cristina Figueiredo Frizzo

  4. Department of Information Science, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil

    Ariadne Chloe Furnival

  5. Department of Technology and Society, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil

    Brunela Della Maggiori Orlandi

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  1. Wilson José Alves Pedro
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  2. Márcia Niituma Ogata
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  3. Heloísa Cristina Figueiredo Frizzo
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  4. Ariadne Chloe Furnival
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  5. Brunela Della Maggiori Orlandi
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Correspondence to Wilson José Alves Pedro .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. National School of Public Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    André Pereira Neto

  2. Department of Political Science and International Studies & Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, USA

    Matthew B. Flynn

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Pedro, W.J.A., Ogata, M.N., Frizzo, H.C.F., Furnival, A.C., Orlandi, B.D.M. (2019). Access and Use of Information and Communication Technologies to Promote Active Ageing: For What? For Whom?. In: Pereira Neto, A., Flynn, M. (eds) The Internet and Health in Brazil . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99289-1_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99289-1_8

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