The effects of Digital Buddy programme on older adults’ mental well-being: study protocol for a multi-centre, cluster randomized controlled trial
Abstract Introduction Mental well-being is associated with many mental health symptoms, including depression and health-related quality of life. Digital divide could impact mental health, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Information and communication technology (ICT)-based tools and interv...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2023-02-01
|
| Series: | Trials |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-023-07130-5 |
| _version_ | 1811165683713572864 |
|---|---|
| author | Rick Yiu Cho Kwan Fowie Ng Manfred Lai David Wong Sally Chan |
| author_facet | Rick Yiu Cho Kwan Fowie Ng Manfred Lai David Wong Sally Chan |
| author_sort | Rick Yiu Cho Kwan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Introduction Mental well-being is associated with many mental health symptoms, including depression and health-related quality of life. Digital divide could impact mental health, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Information and communication technology (ICT)-based tools and interventions could effectively provide social support. Intergenerational mentoring between college students and older adults could promote eHealth literacy and self-efficacy, and it is advocated to bridge the digital divide for older adults. However, the effectiveness of an intervention which employs ICT-based tools and intergenerational mentoring strategies (i.e. Digital Buddy) on mental well-being is unclear. Methods This study will employ a multi-centre, cluster-randomized, two-parallel-group, noninferiority, controlled trial design with a 1:1 group allocation ratio. In the intervention group, a Digital Buddy (i.e. a young volunteer) is assigned to a group of older adults in a 1:10 ratio. A series of training sessions for a minimum of 23 h will be provided to the older adults by Digital Buddy, who will also follow through the intervention period with the older participants. The training contents include ICT and mental health care knowledge and skills. The whole intervention period will last for 6 months between 14 sessions. In the control group, participants will receive the usual care. The primary outcome measure is mental well-being. We aim to recruit 292 older participants. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) will be used to examine the effects of the intervention. Ethics and dissemination This trial has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05553730) on 23 September 2022, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05553730 , and all items come from the World Health Organization Trial Registration Data Set. It has been approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Tung Wah College, Hong Kong (reference number: REC2022143). The findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences relevant to the subject fields. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T15:41:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2ab9e750c3624c66afd2183fa7f37a4b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1745-6215 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T15:41:46Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Trials |
| spelling | doaj.art-2ab9e750c3624c66afd2183fa7f37a4b2023-02-12T12:21:53ZengBMCTrials1745-62152023-02-0124111010.1186/s13063-023-07130-5The effects of Digital Buddy programme on older adults’ mental well-being: study protocol for a multi-centre, cluster randomized controlled trialRick Yiu Cho Kwan0Fowie Ng1Manfred Lai2David Wong3Sally Chan4School of Nursing, Tung Wah CollegeSchool of Management, Tung Wah CollegePresident’s Office, Tung Wah CollegeJC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong KongPresident’s Office, Tung Wah CollegeAbstract Introduction Mental well-being is associated with many mental health symptoms, including depression and health-related quality of life. Digital divide could impact mental health, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Information and communication technology (ICT)-based tools and interventions could effectively provide social support. Intergenerational mentoring between college students and older adults could promote eHealth literacy and self-efficacy, and it is advocated to bridge the digital divide for older adults. However, the effectiveness of an intervention which employs ICT-based tools and intergenerational mentoring strategies (i.e. Digital Buddy) on mental well-being is unclear. Methods This study will employ a multi-centre, cluster-randomized, two-parallel-group, noninferiority, controlled trial design with a 1:1 group allocation ratio. In the intervention group, a Digital Buddy (i.e. a young volunteer) is assigned to a group of older adults in a 1:10 ratio. A series of training sessions for a minimum of 23 h will be provided to the older adults by Digital Buddy, who will also follow through the intervention period with the older participants. The training contents include ICT and mental health care knowledge and skills. The whole intervention period will last for 6 months between 14 sessions. In the control group, participants will receive the usual care. The primary outcome measure is mental well-being. We aim to recruit 292 older participants. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) will be used to examine the effects of the intervention. Ethics and dissemination This trial has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05553730) on 23 September 2022, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05553730 , and all items come from the World Health Organization Trial Registration Data Set. It has been approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Tung Wah College, Hong Kong (reference number: REC2022143). The findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences relevant to the subject fields.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-023-07130-5 |
| spellingShingle | Rick Yiu Cho Kwan Fowie Ng Manfred Lai David Wong Sally Chan The effects of Digital Buddy programme on older adults’ mental well-being: study protocol for a multi-centre, cluster randomized controlled trial Trials |
| title | The effects of Digital Buddy programme on older adults’ mental well-being: study protocol for a multi-centre, cluster randomized controlled trial |
| title_full | The effects of Digital Buddy programme on older adults’ mental well-being: study protocol for a multi-centre, cluster randomized controlled trial |
| title_fullStr | The effects of Digital Buddy programme on older adults’ mental well-being: study protocol for a multi-centre, cluster randomized controlled trial |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effects of Digital Buddy programme on older adults’ mental well-being: study protocol for a multi-centre, cluster randomized controlled trial |
| title_short | The effects of Digital Buddy programme on older adults’ mental well-being: study protocol for a multi-centre, cluster randomized controlled trial |
| title_sort | effects of digital buddy programme on older adults mental well being study protocol for a multi centre cluster randomized controlled trial |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-023-07130-5 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rickyiuchokwan theeffectsofdigitalbuddyprogrammeonolderadultsmentalwellbeingstudyprotocolforamulticentreclusterrandomizedcontrolledtrial AT fowieng theeffectsofdigitalbuddyprogrammeonolderadultsmentalwellbeingstudyprotocolforamulticentreclusterrandomizedcontrolledtrial AT manfredlai theeffectsofdigitalbuddyprogrammeonolderadultsmentalwellbeingstudyprotocolforamulticentreclusterrandomizedcontrolledtrial AT davidwong theeffectsofdigitalbuddyprogrammeonolderadultsmentalwellbeingstudyprotocolforamulticentreclusterrandomizedcontrolledtrial AT sallychan theeffectsofdigitalbuddyprogrammeonolderadultsmentalwellbeingstudyprotocolforamulticentreclusterrandomizedcontrolledtrial AT rickyiuchokwan effectsofdigitalbuddyprogrammeonolderadultsmentalwellbeingstudyprotocolforamulticentreclusterrandomizedcontrolledtrial AT fowieng effectsofdigitalbuddyprogrammeonolderadultsmentalwellbeingstudyprotocolforamulticentreclusterrandomizedcontrolledtrial AT manfredlai effectsofdigitalbuddyprogrammeonolderadultsmentalwellbeingstudyprotocolforamulticentreclusterrandomizedcontrolledtrial AT davidwong effectsofdigitalbuddyprogrammeonolderadultsmentalwellbeingstudyprotocolforamulticentreclusterrandomizedcontrolledtrial AT sallychan effectsofdigitalbuddyprogrammeonolderadultsmentalwellbeingstudyprotocolforamulticentreclusterrandomizedcontrolledtrial |