Improving eHealth Literacy of Older Adults in Hong Kong

NCT06374576 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: GCIEL
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 93
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study is an randomized controlled trial (RCT) study to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of a community-based health promotion education intervention for improving the eHealth literacy of older adults

Conditions

eHealth Literacy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• eHealth literacy

  eHealth literacy score will be assessed with the 8-item eHealth literacy Scale (eHEALS) on a five-point Likert scale. The scale range from 8 to 40, higher scores means a better e-health literacy.

  Baseline, 2-week, 3- and 6-month after intervention

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Health Knowledge Learning Intention

  Baseline, 2-week, 3- and 6-month after intervention

• Online Health Information Seeking

  Baseline, 2-week, 3- and 6-month after intervention

• Online Health Information Scanning

  Baseline, 2-week, 3- and 6-month after intervention

• Health-promotion behaviors

  Baseline, 2-week, 3- and 6-month after intervention

• Health Decision Change

  Baseline, 2-week, 3- and 6-month after intervention

Study Arms (2)

Lecture on eHealth literacy and digital intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in the intervention group will receive a health promotion education program for improving eHealth literacy. The education program will include a 1.5-hour lecture and a 1-week digital intervention

Behavioral: Lecture on eHealth literacy; Behavioral: Digital intervention on eHealth literacy

Lecture on general health and digital intervention

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

Participants in the control group will receive a health promotion education program about general health. The education program will include a lecture and a 1-week digital intervention

Behavioral: Lecture on general health; Behavioral: Digital intervention on general health

Interventions

Lecture on eHealth literacy BEHAVIORAL

There will be a lecture on eHealth literacy. The lecture will be delivered by one well-trained lecturer. , the lecture will be held for old adults in small groups, including a structured curriculum consisting of 4 parts: 5 minutes for the introduction, 40 minutes for the lecture and demonstration, and 40 minutes for hands-on session, 5 minutes for wrapping up. The contents covered in the 40-minute lecture were as follows: 1) smartphone internet basics; 2) introduction of the website prepared for this study; 3) evaluation of the credibility of online health information.

Lecture on eHealth literacy and digital intervention

Lecture on general health BEHAVIORAL

A lecture session that focus on the general health but not eHealth literacy will be provided

Lecture on general health and digital intervention

Digital intervention on eHealth literacy BEHAVIORAL

1-week digital intervention, which are multiple messages about the lecture topic will be provided

Lecture on eHealth literacy and digital intervention

Digital intervention on general health BEHAVIORAL

1-week digital intervention, which are multiple messages about the lecture topic will be provided

Lecture on general health and digital intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 65 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Aged 65 years old or above
• Chinese speaking
• Cognitively and mentally fit
• Understand survey questions
• Reported lower eHealth literacy scores (eHEALS \< 26) in previous study
• Smartphone user

You may not qualify if:

• \- All subjects have the right to withdraw if they wish not to continue

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The University of Hong Kong: lead
• Sino Group: collaborator
• NG TENG FONG Charitable Foundation: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

The University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong, China

Location

Related Publications (15)

• Berkowsky RW. Exploring Predictors of eHealth Literacy Among Older Adults: Findings From the 2020 CALSPEAKS Survey. Gerontol Geriatr Med. 2021 Dec 14;7:23337214211064227. doi: 10.1177/23337214211064227. eCollection 2021 Jan-Dec.

  PMID: 34926723 BACKGROUND

• Pourrazavi S, Kouzekanani K, Bazargan-Hejazi S, Shaghaghi A, Hashemiparast M, Fathifar Z, Allahverdipour H. Theory-based E-health literacy interventions in older adults: a systematic review. Arch Public Health. 2020 Aug 10;78:72. doi: 10.1186/s13690-020-00455-6. eCollection 2020.

  PMID: 32793345 BACKGROUND

• Xie B. Effects of an eHealth literacy intervention for older adults. J Med Internet Res. 2011 Nov 3;13(4):e90. doi: 10.2196/jmir.1880.

  PMID: 22052161 BACKGROUND

• Chang SJ, Yang E, Lee KE, Ryu H. Internet health information education for older adults: A pilot study. Geriatr Nurs. 2021 Mar-Apr;42(2):533-539. doi: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2020.10.002. Epub 2020 Oct 19.

  PMID: 33092906 BACKGROUND

• Norman CD, Skinner HA. eHEALS: The eHealth Literacy Scale. J Med Internet Res. 2006 Nov 14;8(4):e27. doi: 10.2196/jmir.8.4.e27.

  PMID: 17213046 BACKGROUND

• Wong DK, Cheung MK. Online Health Information Seeking and eHealth Literacy Among Patients Attending a Primary Care Clinic in Hong Kong: A Cross-Sectional Survey. J Med Internet Res. 2019 Mar 27;21(3):e10831. doi: 10.2196/10831.

  PMID: 30916666 BACKGROUND

• Waters EA, Wheeler C, Hamilton JG. How Are Information Seeking, Scanning, and Processing Related to Beliefs About the Roles of Genetics and Behavior in Cancer Causation? J Health Commun. 2016;21(sup2):6-15. doi: 10.1080/10810730.2016.1193917. Epub 2016 Sep 23.

  PMID: 27661291 BACKGROUND

• Zhang L, Jung EH, Chen Z. Modeling the Pathway Linking Health Information Seeking to Psychological Well-Being on WeChat. Health Commun. 2020 Aug;35(9):1101-1112. doi: 10.1080/10410236.2019.1613479. Epub 2019 May 15.

  PMID: 31088169 BACKGROUND

• Walker SN, Sechrist KR, Pender NJ. The Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile: development and psychometric characteristics. Nurs Res. 1987 Mar-Apr;36(2):76-81.

  PMID: 3644262 BACKGROUND

• Ruggiero KJ, Gros DF, McCauley J, de Arellano MA, Danielson CK. Rural adults' use of health-related information online: data from a 2006 National Online Health Survey. Telemed J E Health. 2011 Jun;17(5):329-34. doi: 10.1089/tmj.2010.0195. Epub 2011 Apr 27.

  PMID: 21524201 BACKGROUND

• Fisher WA, Fisher JD, Harman J. The information-motivation-behavioral skills model: A general social psychological approach to understanding and promoting health behavior. In: Social Psychological Foundations of Health and Illness. Malden, MA, USA: Blackwell Publishing Ltd; 2010. p. 82-106.

  BACKGROUND

• Shang L, Zuo M. Investigating older adults' intention to learn health knowledge on social media. Educ Gerontol [Internet]. 2020;46(6):350-63.

  BACKGROUND

• Ahadzadeh AS, Pahlevan Sharif S, Sim Ong F. Online health information seeking among women: the moderating role of health consciousness. Online Inf Rev [Internet]. 2018;42(1):58-72.

  BACKGROUND

• Wei MH, Lu CM. Development of the short-form Chinese health-promoting lifestyle profile. J Health Educ. 2005;24:25-46.

  BACKGROUND

• Song J, Li Y, Guo X, Shen KN, Ju X. Making mobile health information advice persuasive: An Elaboration Likelihood Model perspective. J Organ End User Comput [Internet]. 2022;34(4):1-22.

  BACKGROUND

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 9, 2024
• First Posted: April 18, 2024
• Study Start: May 1, 2024
• Primary Completion: July 31, 2024
• Study Completion: December 31, 2024
• Last Updated: May 4, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Locations

CN (1)