Acceptance of Social Networking Sites by Older People before and after COVID-19 Confinement: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study in Chile, Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)

Patricio Ramírez-Correa, Elizabeth Grandón, Jorge Arenas-Gaitán, Javier Rondán-Cataluña and Muriel Ramírez-Santana ()
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Elizabeth Grandón: Department of Information Systems, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Concepción 4081112, Chile
Jorge Arenas-Gaitán: Department of Business Administration and Marketing, Universidad de Sevilla, 41018 Sevilla, Spain
Javier Rondán-Cataluña: Department of Business Administration and Marketing, Universidad de Sevilla, 41018 Sevilla, Spain
Muriel Ramírez-Santana: Public Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo 1780000, Chile

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 20, 1-11

Abstract: This study aims to examine the capacity of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to explain the intention to use social networking sites by older people in two time periods, before and after confinement due to the COVID-19 epidemic, as well as the evolution of effects (paths) over time of TPB’s determinants. Based on interviews from samples of 384 and 383 elderly Chilean adults collected before and after confinement, the evolution of the effects (paths) was analysed using the TPB model applying the PLS-SEM technique. The intention to use social networks and its association with three factors were evaluated: attitude toward the behaviour, subjective norms, and perceived control over the behaviour. The model explains the intention to use social networks by 27% before confinement, increasing its magnitude to 50% after confinement. After the period of confinement, their attitudes become more significant, their perceptions of control become less important, and social pressures remain permanent in predicting the behaviour. In conclusion, better access and greater use of social networks by older people during the lockdown period increased the predictive strength of the attitude towards these technologies.

Keywords: social networking sites; older people; theory of planned behaviour; cross-sectional study; Chile (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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