AgingNCT07693582
Smartphone-Based Digital Literacy Training for Older Adults
A study testing Structured smartphone-based digital literacy training in people with Aging and Literacy-language Intervention, run by Akdeniz University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
This study examined whether a structured, classroom-based smartphone training programme can improve digital literacy and confidence in using a smartphone among adults aged 60 years and older enrolled in a lifelong-learning programme. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 60 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Aging, Literacy-language Intervention, Literacy
- What is being tested?
- Structured smartphone-based digital literacy training
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 140 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 15 Apr 2025to 22 Aug 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 60 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Aged 60 years or older
- Enrolled in the Akdeniz University 60+ Refresher (Tazelenme) University programme
- Owns and regularly uses an smartphone
- Able to attend the scheduled training sessions
- Provides written informed consent
Who cannot join
- Severe cognitive, visual, or hearing impairment that would prevent participation in the training
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Turkey (Türkiye)1 site
Akdeniz University 60+ Tazelenme University
Antalya, 07070
About this study
Official title: Smartphone-based Digital Literacy Training for Older Adults in a Lifelong-learning Setting: a Nonrandomised Wait-list-controlled Study With 3-month Follow-up
This study examined whether a structured, classroom-based smartphone training programme can improve digital literacy and confidence in using a smartphone among adults aged 60 years and older enrolled in a lifelong-learning programme. The study used a non-randomised, wait-list-controlled design with two existing class cohorts: one cohort received the training first (intervention group), and the other continued with its usual programme activities and served as a comparison (wait-list control group). Digital literacy and smartphone self-efficacy were measured before the training, immediately after the training, and again three months later. The aim was to determine whether older adults who took part in the training showed greater improvement than those who did not.
Read the detailed description
The training programme consisted of 12 sessions delivered over 6 weeks (two sessions per week, each lasting 90 to 105 minutes). Content was mapped to the DigComp 2.2 digital competence framework and covered practical smartphone skills for everyday life. Sessions used participants' own Android smartphones together with a projector for demonstration, a class messaging group for support, and between-session practice tasks. The intervention arm comprised the advanced-level cohort of the Akdeniz University 60+ Refresher (Tazelenme) University, and the wait-list control arm comprised the second-year cohort of the same programme.
Two instruments were used. Digital literacy was assessed with the Digital Literacy Scale (score range 12 to 60), the primary outcome. Smartphone self-efficacy was assessed with the Smartphone Self-Efficacy Scale (score range 20 to 100), a secondary outcome. Both were administered at baseline (T1), immediately after the intervention (T2), and at three-month follow-up (T3). Programme satisfaction was assessed with a short questionnaire after the intervention.
The primary analysis used a baseline-adjusted linear mixed model on the full analysis set, including a group-by-baseline interaction and adjustment for age, sex, education, and marital status. Robustness was examined through several pre-specified sensitivity analyses, including per-protocol analysis, difference-in-differences, propensity-score overlap weighting, multiple imputation, and a conservative worst-case (missing-not-at-random) analysis.
- Being tested
- Structured smartphone-based digital literacy training
- Keywords
- digital literacy, smartphone, ehealth, gerontology, lifelong learning
- Medical subject headings
- Literacy
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Structured smartphone-based digital literacy trainingBehavioural
Instructor-led smartphone training delivered in 12 sessions over 6 weeks (twice weekly, 90 to 105 minutes), mapped to the DigComp 2.2 framework, using participants' own Android smartphones, a projector for demonstration, a class messaging group, and between-session practice tasks.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Smartphone-based digital literacy training | Experimental | Advanced-level cohort receiving a structured smartphone training programme: 12 sessions over 6 weeks (two sessions per week, 90 to 105 minutes each), mapped to the DigComp 2.2 framework, using participants' own Android smartphones. Receives: Behavioral: Structured smartphone-based digital literacy training |
| Wait-list control | No intervention | Second-year cohort continuing usual programme activities with the training deferred; served as the comparison group. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Digital Literacy Scale (DLS) score
Digital literacy assessed with the Digital Literacy Scale. Scores range from a minimum of 12 to a maximum of 60. Higher scores indicate greater digital literacy (a better outcome).
Measured: Baseline (T1), immediately post-intervention (approximately week 6, T2), and 3-month follow-up (T3)
Secondary outcomes (2)
Change in Smartphone Self-Efficacy Scale (SSES) score
Smartphone self-efficacy assessed with the Smartphone Self-Efficacy Scale. Scores range from a minimum of 20 to a maximum of 100. Higher scores indicate greater smartphone self-efficacy (a better outcome).
Measured: Baseline (T1), immediately post-intervention (approximately week 6, T2), and 3-month follow-up (T3)
Programme satisfaction
Participant satisfaction with the training programme, assessed with a 10-item satisfaction questionnaire. Scores range from a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 50. Higher scores indicate greater satisfaction (a better outcome).
Measured: Immediately post-intervention (approximately week 6, T2)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted9 Jul 2026
- Study start15 Apr 2025
- Primary completion22 Aug 2025
- Study completion22 Aug 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for AgingStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Two intact class cohorts were allocated at the group level to the intervention and wait-list control arms; assignment was not randomised at the individual level.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 140 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Akdeniz University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Barış Kılıç, Akdeniz University
- Investigators
- Gülüşan Özgün Başıbüyük, Study director, Akdeniz University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07693582
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- TBAEK-181
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 4 Jul 2026
- Last updated
- 9 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: De-identified individual participant data underlying the reported results are available from the corresponding author (B.K.) on reasonable request, subject to ethics and participant-confidentiality restrictions. The analysis code is likewise available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 9 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Smartphone-based Digital Literacy Training for Older Adults in a Lifelong-learning Setting: a Nonrandomised Wait-list-controlled Study With 3-month Follow-up
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07693582
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- TBAEK-181
- Keywords
- digital literacy, smartphone, ehealth, gerontology, lifelong learning
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 140 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Akdeniz UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 15 Apr 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 22 Aug 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 22 Aug 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 9 Jul 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study examined whether a structured, classroom-based smartphone training programme can improve digital literacy and confidence in using a smartphone among adults aged 60 years and older enrolled in a lifelong-learning programme. The study used a non-randomised, wait-list-controlled design with two existing class cohorts: one cohort received the training first (intervention group), and the other continued with its usual programme activities and served as a comparison (wait-list control group). Digital literacy and smartphone self-efficacy were measured before the training, immediately after the training, and again three months later. The aim was to determine whether older adults who took part in the training showed greater improvement than those who did not.
Detailed description
The training programme consisted of 12 sessions delivered over 6 weeks (two sessions per week, each lasting 90 to 105 minutes). Content was mapped to the DigComp 2.2 digital competence framework and covered practical smartphone skills for everyday life. Sessions used participants' own Android smartphones together with a projector for demonstration, a class messaging group for support, and between-session practice tasks. The intervention arm comprised the advanced-level cohort of the Akdeniz University 60+ Refresher (Tazelenme) University, and the wait-list control arm comprised the second-year cohort of the same programme.
Two instruments were used. Digital literacy was assessed with the Digital Literacy Scale (score range 12 to 60), the primary outcome. Smartphone self-efficacy was assessed with the Smartphone Self-Efficacy Scale (score range 20 to 100), a secondary outcome. Both were administered at baseline (T1), immediately after the intervention (T2), and at three-month follow-up (T3). Programme satisfaction was assessed with a short questionnaire after the intervention.
The primary analysis used a baseline-adjusted linear mixed model on the full analysis set, including a group-by-baseline interaction and adjustment for age, sex, education, and marital status. Robustness was examined through several pre-specified sensitivity analyses, including per-protocol analysis, difference-in-differences, propensity-score overlap weighting, multiple imputation, and a conservative worst-case (missing-not-at-random) analysis.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Two intact class cohorts were allocated at the group level to the intervention and wait-list control arms; assignment was not randomised at the individual level.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Smartphone-based digital literacy training | Experimental | Behavioral: Structured smartphone-based digital literacy trainingAdvanced-level cohort receiving a structured smartphone training programme: 12 sessions over 6 weeks (two sessions per week, 90 to 105 minutes each), mapped to the DigComp 2.2 framework, using participants' own Android smartphones. |
| Wait-list control | No intervention | –Second-year cohort continuing usual programme activities with the training deferred; served as the comparison group. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 60 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Aged 60 years or older
- Enrolled in the Akdeniz University 60+ Refresher (Tazelenme) University programme
- Owns and regularly uses an smartphone
- Able to attend the scheduled training sessions
- Provides written informed consent
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Severe cognitive, visual, or hearing impairment that would prevent participation in the training
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Structured smartphone-based digital literacy trainingInstructor-led smartphone training delivered in 12 sessions over 6 weeks (twice weekly, 90 to 105 minutes), mapped to the DigComp 2.2 framework, using participants' own Android smartphones, a projector for demonstration, a class messaging group, and between-session practice tasks. | Behavioural | Smartphone-based digital literacy training |
Primary outcome
Change in Digital Literacy Scale (DLS) score
Time frame: Baseline (T1), immediately post-intervention (approximately week 6, T2), and 3-month follow-up (T3)
Digital literacy assessed with the Digital Literacy Scale. Scores range from a minimum of 12 to a maximum of 60. Higher scores indicate greater digital literacy (a better outcome).
2 secondary outcomes
Change in Smartphone Self-Efficacy Scale (SSES) score
Time frame: Baseline (T1), immediately post-intervention (approximately week 6, T2), and 3-month follow-up (T3)
Programme satisfaction
Time frame: Immediately post-intervention (approximately week 6, T2)
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 9 Jul 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. De-identified individual participant data underlying the reported results are available from the corresponding author (B.K.) on reasonable request, subject to ethics and participant-confidentiality restrictions. The analysis code is likewise available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Gülüşan Özgün Başıbüyük study director
Akdeniz University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Structured smartphone-based digital literacy training in people with Aging and Literacy-language Intervention, run by Akdeniz University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 9 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in Digital Literacy Scale (DLS) score (time frame: Baseline (T1), immediately post-intervention (approximately week 6, T2), and 3-month follow-up (T3)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 9 Jul 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 30 Oct 2026.