Introduction
Today’s world is facing a problem called aging. Iran is a country with an aging population, which is increasing day [3]. Loneliness is a significant problem among the elderly. Increasing disability and progressive decline in motor ability and mental functioning of the elderly can cause their social relationships to decline [4]. Social isolation can have a negative impact on older people’s mental and physical health. The elderly face challenges in accepting technology due to physiological and psychological changes, as well as lack of familiarity. This study aimed to determine the relationship between social isolation and technology acceptance among older adults in Zahedan, south of Iran.

Methods
This cross-sectional study was conducted on 400 older adults over 65 years of age in Zahedan City in 2023. Based on the cluster sampling method, Zahedan City was initially divided into five regions. In each region, two parks, two mosques, a clinic, and a comprehensive urban health center were selected using a convenience sampling method. Inclusion criteria were age over 65 years, the ability to communicate and respond, having a mobile phone, and not taking psychiatric medications. To measure social isolation in the elderly, the Lubben social network scale-6 (LSNS-6) was used. This questionnaire has 12 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale from 0 to 5 [22]. A higher score indicates less social isolation, which a score <20 indicates the higher risk of social isolation. The validity and reliability of the Persian version of LSNS-6 have been confirmed by Tavakoli et al. [21]. To measure the technology acceptance, we used Basakha and Mohaqeqi Kamal’s questionnaire [23], which has 24 items. The content validity of the items ranges from 0.87 to 1, and for the entire scale is 0.98. Also, the Cronbach’s α coefficient for the entire scale is 0.88 [23]. Data were analyzed in SPSS software, version 22 using Pearson correlation test, independent t-test, and analysis of variance.

Results
The participants included 55.2% (221) male and 44.8% (179) female. Their mean age was 72.91±6.49 years. Most of them were married (54.5%, n=218), unemployed (62%, n=248), illiterate (61%, n=244), and Balochi (61.2%, n=245). The social isolation rate was 66%. It was significantly different based on marital status and educational level. Married and highly educated seniors had higher mean LSNS-6 scores than others. However, social isolation was not significantly different in terms of gender, employment status, and ethnicity. Also, the technology acceptance rate was 51%. It was significantly different based on gender and educational level. Older women and highly educated seniors had higher acceptance rate than others. The technology acceptance rate was not significantly different in terms of marital status, employment status, and ethnicity.
Age had no significant relationship with technology acceptance or social isolation. There was a negative and significant correlation between social isolation and technology acceptance of the elderly (r=-0.64, P<0.001). This means that a higher social isolation can lower the acceptance of technology in the elderly. The multiple linear regression model showed that social isolation (P=0.001), female gender (P=0.001) and middle school education (P=0.001) were the significant predictors of technology acceptance by the elderly.

Conclusion
The social isolation rate among older adults in Zahedan is high (66%) which may be related to factors such as economic problems, low access to social services, and society’s attitude towards older people. The technology acceptance of older adults in this city is moderate (51%). Conditions should be facilitated for this age group to use technological facilities. It is essential to raise their awareness about the benefits of using technology and the importance of communicating with others through online platforms.

Ethical Considerations
Compliance with ethical guidelines
This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran (Code: IR.ZAUMS.REC.1402.345). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants.

Funding
This article was extracted from a research project at Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for profit sectors.

Authors' contributions
All authors contributed equally to the conception and design of the study, data collection and analysis, interception of the results and drafting of the manuscript. Each author approved the final version of the manuscript for submission.

Conflicts of interest
The authors declared no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank all seniors for participating in this study.

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