PROPORTION OF SOCIAL MEDIA APPROPRIATE USAGE BEHAVIOR AMONG THAI GOVERNMENT PENSIONER USERS: A MUNICIPALITY CONTEXT, THAILAND

Abstract

Appropriate social media use by the elderly can help them access health information. This study aimed to assess the proportion of social media-appropriate usage behavior among Thai government pensioners and related factors. A descriptive study was conducted among 235 pensioners using simple random sampling. Data collection was performed using a self-administered questionnaire comprising four parts: sociodemographic, health status, social media behaviors, and social media-appropriate usage behavior. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, median, IQR, crude odds ratio, and 95% confidence interval. The response rate was 92.34%. Most pensioners were female; the median age was 73 years old (IQR=10). They were mostly government retirees, married, had completed a bachelor’s degree or higher, unemployed, received an income per month of 15,000 baht or higher, and lived with their family. Most pensioners perceived their health status as good or excellent. The proportion of social media-appropriate usage behavior among pensioner users was 40.80% (95%), CI 32.20, 49.27). The highest proportion was for items such as that you should not buy medicine via social media recommended by a friend. The pensioners feel OK whether your message in social media has or has no response, and when the pensioners receive the information via an application, they read it before sharing. This study also found that the factors related to social media-appropriate usage behavior were career after retirement, income, depressive syndrome, and perceived health status. Promoting social media-appropriate usage behaviors among pensioners is recommended. All related factors found were suggested for intervention or further study. Keywords: Social Media Use, Elderly, Pensioners, Appropriate Use Behavior, Municipality DOI： https://doi.org/10.35741/issn.0258-2724.58.5.20