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Examining the Moderating Roles of Algorithm Literacy in eHealth Outcomes Across Age Groups
Huanyu Bao1, Luying Wang1, Edmund W J Lee1,2
1Department of Media and Communications, City University of Hong Kong.
Health Communication
|July 20, 2026
Summary
Algorithm literacy impacts eHealth benefits and burdens differently for older adults. Enhancing algorithm literacy may amplify both positive and negative effects, highlighting the need for accessible digital health environments.
Area of Science:
- Digital Health
- Health Informatics
- Sociology of Technology
Background:
- eHealth use is prevalent in algorithmically curated environments.
- Algorithm literacy's role in moderating eHealth outcomes, especially for older adults, is not well understood.
- The third-level digital divide and Structural Influence Model provide a framework for this investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine how algorithmic awareness, ethical awareness, and privacy concern moderate the relationship between eHealth use and perceived benefits, psychological distress, and health information fatigue.
- To compare these moderation effects between older adults (60+) and general adults (20-59).
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional survey data from 1,308 Hong Kong residents.
- Analysis of moderation patterns in algorithm literacy dimensions across age groups.
- Comparison of algorithm literacy levels between older and general adult populations.
Main Results:
- Older adults exhibited lower algorithm literacy across all dimensions compared to general adults.
- Among older adults, ethical awareness and privacy concern amplified both benefits and distress from eHealth use; algorithmic awareness amplified health information fatigue.
- Moderating effects were less pronounced in general adults, with ethical awareness showing mixed impacts.
Conclusions:
- Algorithm literacy can amplify both benefits and burdens of eHealth use, with older adults experiencing more pronounced burden amplification.
- Digital health equity requires strategies beyond promoting algorithm literacy, focusing on reducing the complexity of algorithmically curated eHealth environments.
