Everyday Digital Support to Promote Health and Literacy Among Older Adults: 14-Week Randomized Digital Pilot Trial by...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Digital Health
• Health Literacy

Background:

• Simple digital health solutions offer potential for promoting health in older adults.
• Evidence on teleassistance effectiveness for health literacy and self-care in diverse populations is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess a 14-week mobile teleassistance intervention's impact on older adults' health promotion, health literacy, and quality of life.
• To investigate the association between user engagement levels and intervention outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A randomized digital pilot study involving 21 older adults (≥60 years) in Brazil.
• Intervention included weekly teleconsultations, gamified quizzes, and mobile app-based health activities.
• Participants were categorized into high- and low-engagement subgroups based on platform usage.

Main Results:

• High engagement correlated with greater improvements in health literacy (P<.001) and specific quality-of-life domains (vitality, functional capacity, general health).
• A significant group effect was observed for the mental component of quality of life (P<.001).
• No significant differences in physical activity or sedentary behavior were found between engagement subgroups.

Conclusions:

• Everyday digital teleassistance can enhance health literacy and quality of life in older adults with high engagement.
• The intervention alone was insufficient to modify physical activity or sedentary behavior in the short term.
• Further research is needed to evaluate long-term effects and address digital health adoption disparities.