Association of Computer and Smartphone Use, Health Literacy, and Frailty Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: The Higashiura Study

IF 2.7 4区医学 Q3 GERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY

Geriatrics & Gerontology International Pub Date : 2026-09-17 DOI:10.1111/ggi.70836

Noriko Hori, Yosuke Osuka, Yoshiko Lily Ishioka, Kaori Kinoshita, von Fingerhut Georg, Kazuhiro Yoshiura, Shosuke Satake

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Aim

Frailty is an age-related condition involving physical, psychological, and social functional decline, and global efforts to prevent frailty using information and communication technology have recently expanded. This study aimed to examine whether computer and smartphone use among community-dwelling older adults is associated with frailty mediated by health literacy.

Methods

Participants were community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 65 years without long-term care certification participating in the 2024 Higashiura Study. The primary outcome was frailty assessed using the revised Japanese Cardiovascular Health Study criteria. In this cross-sectional study, the independent variable was computer and smartphone use for health information acquisition and health management. The mediating variable was health literacy measured using the Communicative and Critical Health Literacy Scale. Mediation analysis was conducted, adjusting for age, gender, educational attainment, and household income, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) estimated via bootstrapping.

Results

Of 451 participants, 423 were analyzed. Frailty prevalence was 15 participants (3.5%), and 143 (33.8%) of participants reported computer and smartphone use. In the main outcome analysis (frailty vs. non-frailty), mediation analysis showed a non-significant direct effect (β = −0.818, 95% CI: −2.127 to 0.490) and a significant indirect effect through health literacy (β = 0.323, 95% CI: 0.084–0.698). No significant indirect effect was observed for the sub-outcome analysis (robust vs. non-robust).

Conclusions

Among community-dwelling older adults, not engaging in health-related computer and smartphone use was associated with frailty, and lower health literacy may be involved in this association. Further longitudinal studies are needed to clarify temporal relationships between these factors.

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在社区居住的老年人中，计算机和智能手机使用、健康素养和虚弱的关系：Higashiura研究

目的：虚弱是一种与年龄有关的状况，涉及身体、心理和社会功能的下降，全球范围内利用信息和通信技术预防虚弱的努力最近得到了扩大。本研究旨在研究社区老年人中电脑和智能手机的使用是否与健康素养介导的虚弱有关。方法：参与者为2024年东仓研究（Higashiura Study）的社区居住成年人，年龄≥65岁，无长期护理认证。主要结局是使用修订的日本心血管健康研究标准评估虚弱。在这项横断面研究中，自变量是计算机和智能手机用于健康信息获取和健康管理。中介变量是使用交际和关键健康素养量表测量的健康素养。进行中介分析，调整年龄、性别、受教育程度和家庭收入，95%置信区间（ci）通过自举估计。结果：在451名参与者中，分析了423名。虚弱患病率为15名参与者（3.5%），143名参与者（33.8%）报告使用电脑和智能手机。在主要结局分析（虚弱vs.非虚弱）中，中介分析显示无显著直接影响（β = -0.818, 95% CI: -2.127 ~ 0.490），通过健康素养有显著间接影响（β = 0.323, 95% CI: 0.084 ~ 0.698）。亚结局分析未观察到显著的间接影响（稳健与非稳健）。结论：在社区居住的老年人中，不使用与健康相关的电脑和智能手机与身体虚弱有关，较低的健康素养可能与此相关。需要进一步的纵向研究来澄清这些因素之间的时间关系。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Geriatrics & Gerontology International 医学-老年医学

CiteScore

5.50

自引率

6.10%

发文量

189

审稿时长

4-8 weeks

期刊介绍： Geriatrics & Gerontology International is the official Journal of the Japan Geriatrics Society, reflecting the growing importance of the subject area in developed economies and their particular significance to a country like Japan with a large aging population. Geriatrics & Gerontology International is now an international publication with contributions from around the world and published four times per year.