Systematic Review on the Effectiveness of Digital Literacy Interventions Among Older Adults

Objective: This study aimed to identify the types, methods, and effects of interventions, dependent variables, and assessment tools used in studies of digital literacy interventions among older adults. Methods: Studies were identified from the PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, Medline, and Embase databases, without restriction of study period, by using search terms (“Digital literacy” OR “Digital capability” OR “Media literacy” OR “Digital competencies” OR “Information and Communication Technology”) AND (‘Elderly’ OR “Older adult” OR ‘Geriatric’ OR ‘Senior’ OR ‘Aged’) AND (‘Intervention’ OR ‘Practice’ OR ‘Training’ OR ‘Education’ OR ‘Program’ OR ‘Learning’). Results: Of the eight studies, six were two-group non-randomized studies with an evidence level of two. Digital literacy is the most frequently measured dependent variable. Interventions were provided to both groups and individuals, significantly improving digital literacy, depression, self-efficacy, and life satisfaction. Conclusion: This systematic review suggests future directions for research and interventions on digital literacy among older adults, wherein high-level evidence, obtained using systematic research designs, could verify the diverse effectiveness of digital literacy interventions for older adults.