The Effects of a Scenario-based Fact-checking Course on eHealth Literacy and Fact-checking Skills Among Older Adults.

NCT07886645 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: NYCU115209AE
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 100
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

As more older adults use the internet to seek health information, it may be difficult to determine whether online information is trustworthy. Social media posts, advertisements, messages, and product promotions may contain misleading information or scams. This study will examine whether a practical fact-checking course can help older adults make more accurate judgments about online health information. Approximately 100 older adults from senior learning centers in northern Taiwan will participate in this study. Participants will be assigned to one of two groups. The experimental group will receive a four-week health information fact-checking course, and the control group will receive a four-week nutrition education course. Both groups will participate in learning activities; however, only the fact-checking course will involve digital tools and examples of online health information. Participants in the fact-checking course will practice evaluating health information through common real-life situations, including health-related social media posts, online product advertisements, free-gift promotions, and suspicious text messages. The course will teach a fact-checking method called SIFT: Stop: Pause before believing or sharing information. Investigate the source: Check who created or posted the information. Find better coverage: Look for other reliable sources that discuss the same claim. Trace claims to the original context: Locate the original source and determine whether the claim has been presented accurately. Before and after the four-week intervention, participants will complete questionnaires and short activities concerning the use of online health information and the evaluation of health-related messages. The investigators will compare outcomes between the two groups to determine whether the fact-checking course improves confidence and accuracy in judging online health information. This study may inform the development of digital health learning programs for older adults.

Conditions

eHealth Literacy; Digital Health Literacy; Fact Checking

Keywords

scenario based instruction; eHealth literacy; digital health literacy; fact checking; older Adults

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• eHealth Literacy

  eHealth literacy will be assessed using the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS), an 8-item self-report questionnaire that measures perceived ability to locate, understand, evaluate, and use online health information. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Item scores will be summed to produce a total score ranging from 8 to 40. Higher scores indicate higher perceived eHealth literacy. The outcome will be assessed at baseline and immediately after the four-week intervention.

  Baseline and immediately after the 4-week intervention

• Digital Health Literacy (DHLI)

  Digital health literacy(DHLI) will be assessed using the 30-item Chinese version of the Digital Health Literacy Instrument. The instrument includes 23 self-report items and 7 objective performance-based items. Self-report items assess perceived digital health literacy using a 4-point Likert scale. Task-difficulty items range from 1, very easy, to 4, very difficult; frequency-of-difficulty items range from 1, never, to 4, often. Self-report items will be reverse-coded. Total self-report scores range from 23 to 92, with higher scores indicating better perceived digital health literacy. Objective items are scored as correct (1) or incorrect (0), with total scores ranging from 0 to 7; higher scores indicate better performance. Assessments will occur at baseline and immediately after the 4-week intervention.

  Baseline and immediately after the 4-week intervention

• Health Information Judgment Accuracy

  Health information judgment accuracy will be assessed using the Researcher Developed Scenario Based Health Information Judgment Test. The test includes four health information scenarios at baseline and four comparable scenarios after the intervention. Each scenario is scored as correct (1) or incorrect (0). Total scores range from 0 to 4, with higher scores indicating greater accuracy in judging the credibility or accuracy of online health information. The outcome will be assessed at baseline and immediately after the four-week intervention.

  Baseline and immediately after the 4-week intervention

Study Arms (2)

Scenario-Based Fact-Checking Course

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will receive a four-week scenario-based health information fact-checking course.

Behavioral: Scenario-Based Fact-Checking Course

Nutrition Education

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will receive a four-week nutrition education program.

Behavioral: Nutrition Education

Interventions

Nutrition Education BEHAVIORAL

This four-week behavioral nutrition education program is designed as an active comparison intervention. Participants will receive general education on healthy eating and nutrition for older adults, including balanced food choices, dietary habits, and basic nutrition principles. The program will be delivered without digital devices, online health information evaluation, or fact-checking instruction. Its duration and session schedule will be comparable to those of the experimental group.

Nutrition Education

Scenario-Based Fact-Checking Course BEHAVIORAL

This four-week behavioral education intervention is a scenario-based fact-checking course designed to improve older adults' ability to evaluate online health information. The course teaches the SIFT strategy: Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, and Trace claims to the original context. Participants will use digital devices and structured worksheets to practice checking the credibility and accuracy of health-related information. Learning activities are based on four common online scenarios: health-related social media posts claiming endorsement by authorities, influencer-promoted health product advertisements, suspicious free-gift promotions, and potentially fraudulent subsidy text messages. The course emphasizes lateral reading, source evaluation, and verification of health claims through hands-on practice.

Scenario-Based Fact-Checking Course

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 65 Years - 100 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Adults aged 65 years or older.
• Able to read and communicate in Chinese at a basic level.
• Correctly answer all five items of the JOMAC rapid cognitive function screening assessment.
• Own a personal electronic device, such as a smartphone, tablet, or computer.
• Willing to participate in the digital health information course.

You may not qualify if:

• Have a physician-diagnosed cognitive impairment or dementia, including individuals with a catastrophic illness certificate for dementia, a diagnostic certificate for dementia or cognitive impairment, or a disability certificate related to cognitive impairment or dementia.
• Participate in another information-education-related course during the study period.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University: lead

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Nutrition Assessment

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Data Collection; Epidemiologic Methods; Investigative Techniques; Health Care Evaluation Mechanisms; Quality of Health Care; Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Epidemiologic Measurements; Public Health; Environment and Public Health

Central Study Contacts

SHU-TING HSU, Bachelor's Degree

CONTACT

+886 937218092; shuting11204@gmail.com

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: This is a two-arm, parallel-group, quasi-experimental study. Approximately 100 older adults will be recruited from six senior learning centers in northern Taiwan and assigned to an experimental group or a control group. Both groups will complete baseline and post-intervention assessments. The experimental group will receive a four-week scenario-based online health information fact-checking course using the SIFT strategy. The control group will receive a four-week nutrition education program without digital technology or digital learning materials.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 21, 2026
• First Posted: October 21, 2026
• Study Start: September 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2027
• Last Updated: October 21, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share