Associations between education, depression, anxiety, and digital health literacy among older adults

Abstract Background Depression and anxiety are the emotional problems most frequently experienced by older adults. These mental health challenges can influence an individual's ability at finding, evaluating, and applying electronic health information to health problems. Thus, we aimed to examine associations of digital health literacy (DHL) with education, depression, and anxiety among older adults in Slovakia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 101 adults aged 55 years and over (40.6% from 60 to 64 years, 85.1% of women, 54.5% with secondary education). DHL, depressive symptoms, and anxiety level were measured using the self-reported eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Generalised Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), respectively. Multiple linear regressions were performed to explore the role of education and mental health characteristics in DHL controlling for age and sex. Results The vast majority of sample (92.1%) used the internet within the last 3 months and 67.3% used it to search for health-related information. The mean eHealth literacy score achieved 29.82 ± 6.78. Higher DHL was significantly associated with higher education (β = 0.31, p < 0.01) and it remained significant (β = 0.34, p < 0.001) after adding the mental health characteristics. Higher DHL was significantly associated with lower depressive symptomatology (β=-0.37, p < 0.01) and higher anxiety level (β = 0.33, p < 0.05). The final model explained 13.2% of the variance in DHL. Conclusions Preliminary findings suggest that those seeking to decrease the DHL disparities among older adults may benefit from tailoring interventions towards those with lower education. Furthermore, the study underscores the need for integrated interventions, such as mental health support combined with digital literacy education, to enhance health outcomes among aging population. Further research is needed to uncover the relationship between higher anxiety level and higher DHL. [VEGA 1/0097/24]. Key messages • Emotional problems seem to be significant contributors to digital health literacy of older adults. • Mental health support should be incorporated into the digital literacy intervention programs for older adults.