1276 The Effects of a Digital Sleep Management App with Human Support on Digital Literacy and Sleep Health in Older Adults

Abstract Introduction As the population ages, sleep disturbances and the digital divide have become significant challenges for older adults. This study aims to empirically examine the effects of a digital healthcare-based sleep management application on digital literacy, frailty, sleep quality, and insomnia severity among community-dwelling older adults aged 65 and over. Methods A nonequivalent control group pretest–posttest design was employed. A total of 53 participants recruited from community welfare facilities were assigned to three groups: Experimental Group 1 (n=16) used the sleep management app ('Honey Sleep Doctor') independently; Experimental Group 2 (n=20) used the same app with daily support from a senior care manager; and a Control Group (n=17) received no intervention. The intervention lasted for two weeks. Key measures included the Functional Assessment of Comfort Employing Technology Scale (FACETS) for digital literacy, the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) for frailty, the Korean Version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-K) for sleep quality, and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) for insomnia severity. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA, one-way ANOVA, and t-tests. Results Repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant time-by-group interaction effects for digital literacy (F=4.683, p=.014$) and frailty (F=5.255, p=.008). Within-group analyses showed that Experimental Group 2 (App + Senior Care Manager) achieved statistically significant improvements in digital literacy (t=-7.167, p<.001), sleep quality (t=2.164, p=.043), and insomnia severity (t=2.154, p=.044) compared to baseline1. In contrast, Experimental Group 1 (App only) showed significant improvement only in frailty (t=-6.536, p<.001), with no significant changes in digital literacy or sleep-related variables2. One-way ANOVA on post-intervention scores confirmed significant group differences in digital literacy (F=5.415, p<.01), sleep quality (F=3.244, p<.05), and insomnia severity (F=4.875, p<.05), with Experimental Group 2 demonstrating superior outcomes compared to the other groups. Conclusion The findings suggest that the effectiveness of digital healthcare for older adults relies not only on technology but also on human support. While the app-only approach showed limited impact, combining it with a senior care manager significantly improved digital literacy and sleep health. This underscores the necessity of integrating human-touch services to bridge the digital divide and enhance health outcomes for the elderly Support (if any)