HEARTS Matters: The Moderation and Mediation Effects of Resilience, Experience of Abuse, and Technology Use in Older Persons

Abstract

Background: The purpose of the study was to explore the HEARTS (Health, Experience of Abuse, Resilience, Technology, and Safety) in a community sample of older adults (60 years and above) in the Philippines – one of the top ten countries in Asia with the fastest growth rate of the older adult population. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was utilized in collecting data using standardized questionnaires such as PROMIS, CD-RISC, EASI. The study was able to engaged a total of 161 older adults who voluntarily joined the study. Results: Findings show that among the different health indicators (i.e., physical function, anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep disturbance, ability to participate in roles and activities, pain interference, and pain intensity), only sleep disturbance was significantly correlated with the experience of abuse. Only anxiety and fatigue were significantly correlated with resilience. Resilience was found to have a significant moderating effect between the relationship of experience of abuse and two health indicators (i.e., anxiety and pain interference). Technology use was significantly correlated with the ability to participate in social activities, pain intensity, and resilience. Our results also show that technology use had a significant mediating effect between resilience and anxiety (a health indicator). Conclusion: The results provide preliminary evidence on the protective effect of resilience on the experience of abuse and selected health outcomes among older adults in the Philippines. Resilience in older adults varies across demographic factors, and suspicions of elderly abuse exist in the community. Technology-use among older adults should be included in the framework in addressing older persons' welfare as it serves to provide communication means or entertainment purposes. Studying the health outcomes, resilience, abuse, and technology use among older adults provides a framework on how older adults should be treated and how intervention programs should be addressed.

"Life Course In HEARTS: Enhancing Telehealth Resilience and Mindfulness Intervention in Older Adults Experiencing Abuse and Trauma-A Conceptualization"

“…Namely, higher depression and pain intensity correspond to higher older adults' abuse suspicion, while higher resilience corresponds to lower older adults' abuse suspicion [20,21]. Technology use or without technology use impacts the experience of abuse and social support [37]. We also have to be careful that technology could have a bias because they are created by humans, of humans, and for humans.…”