Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Document Type
Article
Abstract
The study is focused on examining the information-seeking behaviour of elderly persons in Ethiope East, Local Government Area. Four research objectives guided the study. A survey research design was adopted for the study. Two hundred (200) elderly persons were selected through systematic random sampling from each of the districts in the Ethiope East (Abraka, Otoro-Agbon, and Ovu) amounting to a sample size of six hundred (600) elderly persons used for the study. Questionnaires were used to elicit data from the respondent with the aid of three (3) research assistants who are proficient in the Urhobo language. The data collected via the questionnaire were analysed using the descriptive statistics method. Out of the 600 copies of the questionnaire distributed to the elderly respondents, the researchers were able to get the required information for analysis from 525 copies, thus, there was an 88% return rate. The findings revealed that the information needs of the elderly persons' understudy are mainly health-related information, COVID-19 information, and sources of finance-related information, among others. The findings also revealed that friends and family members, health professionals, radio, and television are the major sources of information for elderly persons, among others. The findings revealed the elderly use the information they get to meet health needs, understand about COVID-19 pandemic, get financial sources, to make a better life decisions, among others. The militating factors against the access and use of information by the elderly include declining physical abilities due to aging, inadequate patience from friends and family members, inadequate finance, lack of awareness of information sources, lack of information literacy/ search technique, among others. The researchers recommend that friends and family members caring for elderly persons should try to be patient with them to serve them better in meeting their information needs and government should sponsor information literacy programmes for the elderly to boost their information search and use as they strive to meet their information needs.