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Feeling Healthier When More Proficient With Digital Devices

Research has found that older adults who are more adept at using smartphones not only have higher life satisfaction but also perceive their own health status more positively.

On February 14, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) analyzed the associations among digital literacy, life satisfaction, and self-rated health status in 9,951 adults aged 65 and older who participated in the "2023 Survey on the Living Conditions and Welfare Needs of Older Persons."

Digital literacy refers to the ability to analyze and use information in a digital environment using devices such as smartphones. The findings were published in Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives (Osong PHRP), an international journal issued by the KDCA.

In this study, digital literacy was assessed by whether older adults could, without help from others, use eight functions on digital devices such as smartphones: sending messages, making video calls, searching for information, taking photos or recording videos, using social networking services (SNS), engaging in e-commerce, using online banking, and searching for and installing applications.

Among the older respondents, 27.8% were able to use 3 to 4 of these functions, while 26.5% were unable to use any of the 8 functions. A total of 26.4% could use 1 to 2 functions, and 19.3% reported being able to use 5 or more.

Notably, older adults who reported being able to use smartphones more proficiently rated their own health more positively. Those who could use 3 to 4 functions were 1.5 times more likely to rate their health as good compared with those who could not use any functions, and those who could use 5 or more functions were 2.3 times more likely to do so.

Life satisfaction, measured on a 5-point scale, was also higher among older adults who could use smartphones more effectively. Compared with those who could not use any functions, those who could use 3 to 4 functions had life satisfaction scores that were higher by 0.11 points, and those who could use 5 or more functions had scores that were higher by 0.16 points.

The researchers emphasized, "Digital literacy is an important factor in determining health equity and quality of life among older adults, and the gaps observed here can lead to health inequalities," adding, "Improving digital literacy is essential to guaranteeing the realization of the right to health, so efforts are needed to close these gaps."

Meanwhile, the ability to use digital devices varied widely across the eight functions. While 70.6% were able to send text messages, the proportions able to use other functions were much lower: 49.2% for taking photos or recording videos, 46.55% for information searches, and 41.8% for video calls, meaning that fewer than half of older adults could use these functions.

The proportion able to use SNS was the lowest at 8.0%. This was followed by e-commerce at 10.8%, searching for and installing applications at 11.9%, and online banking at 17.9%, indicating relatively low utilization rates for these functions.

In addition, a study published last year by Michael Scull, a cognitive neuroscientist at Baylor University in the United States, and Gerard Benge, a neuropsychologist at the University of Texas at Austin, analyzed 411,000 people aged 50 and older and found that older adults who used computers or smartphones, the internet, or a combination of these technologies scored better on cognitive function tests than those who did not use or rarely used such technologies. They also had lower rates of diagnoses of cognitive impairment or dementia.

However, it should be noted that several studies have also found that excessive smartphone use can worsen both sleep and mental health, so caution is warranted.