Mentor-Supported Digital Literacy Training (MEDOYE)

Effects of Digital Literacy Mentoring Delivered by Young Migrants on eHealth and Digital Literacy Among Older Migrants: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Purpose This study is a randomized controlled experimental trial aiming to evaluate the effects of mentoring-based digital literacy training delivered by young migrants on older migrants' eHealth literacy and their ability to seek and verify health information in digital environments. The study will be conducted among young and older Ahiska Turkish migrants living in the Üzümlü district of Erzincan province.

Method The study will be conducted in two phases. In the first phase, young migrants will receive digital literacy training that includes mentoring skills. In the second phase, these individuals will provide training to older migrants.

The sample size has been determined based on a power analysis and will consist of a total of 80 participants. Data will be collected using the eHealth Literacy Scale and the Digital Health Information Seeking and Verification Scale. Data will be analyzed using SPSS software, and appropriate parametric and/or non-parametric tests will be applied.

Training sessions will be conducted in controlled environments, in small groups, and tailored to participants' needs. Participant follow-up will be maintained throughout the process to support the sustainability of the intervention.

Research Hypotheses Primary Hypothesis

• H0: Mentoring-based digital literacy training delivered by young migrants has no effect on older migrants' levels of eHealth literacy and digital literacy.
• H1: Mentoring-based digital literacy training delivered by young migrants has a significant effect on older migrants' levels of eHealth literacy and digital literacy.

Secondary Hypothesis

• H0: Mentoring-based digital literacy training delivered by young migrants has no effect on older migrants' eHealth literacy levels.
• H2: Mentoring-based digital literacy training delivered by young migrants has a significant effect on older migrants' eHealth literacy levels.

Third Hypothesis

• H0: Mentoring-based digital literacy training delivered by young migrants has no effect on older migrants' digital literacy levels.
• H3: Mentoring-based digital literacy training delivered by young migrants has a significant effect on older migrants' digital literacy levels.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Migrants; eHealth Literacy; Digital Literacy
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: MEDOYE; Other: control grup

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 80
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Ezgi Demirtürk Selçuk, PhD; Phone Number: +905448502161; Email: ezgi.selcuk@erzincan.edu.tr

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:Young Participants (Migrants)

• Aged between 18-64 years
• Being a migrant
• Literate (able to read and write)
• Able to speak and write in Turkish
• Able to communicate verbally
• Having access to internet at home or workplace
• Having access to a smartphone or a phone that belongs to a family member and can be used by the participant
• Able to use the internet
• Willing to participate in the study
• Willing to act as a mentor

Older Participants (Migrants)

• Aged between 65-74 years
• Literate in Turkish
• Having internet access at home
• Using a smartphone

Exclusion Criteria:

Young Participants (Migrants)

• Presence of visual or hearing impairments that would prevent participation in the study
• Having a physical or mental health condition that may interfere with participation
• Inability to attend training sessions regularly during the intervention period

Older Participants (Migrants)

• Presence of visual or hearing impairments that would prevent participation in the study
• Inability to attend training sessions regularly during the intervention period

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: MEDOYE; Participants in the experimental group will receive a mentoring-based digital literacy training program delivered by young migrants. The intervention will consist of nine sessions conducted twice a week, each lasting 45-90 minutes. The training will include mentoring skills development, digital literacy education, and interactive teaching methods such as role-playing, demonstrations, and small group discussions. Participants will practice mentoring in pairs, with role switching and partner changes across sessions. After each session, young participants will provide digital literacy support to older migrants in their households. Pre- and post-test assessments will be conducted using the eHealth Literacy Scale and the Digital Health Information Seeking and Verification Scale.	Other: MEDOYE; Participants who agree to take part in the study will be enrolled in a mentoring-based training program. The training content will include group process management, warm-up activities, computer-assisted instruction (PowerPoint presentations), verbal instruction, role-playing, demonstration and practice, small group discussions, and question-answer techniques. A total of nine training sessions will be conducted twice a week, each lasting 45-90 minutes. Short breaks not exceeding 15 minutes will be provided based on participants' needs and feedback. To enhance mentoring skills, participants will be divided into pairs and will practice mentoring each other. Roles will be switched after each session. In subsequent sessions, participants will change partners, allowing them to practice mentoring with different individuals. These mentoring practices will be observed by the researchers. The schedule of the training sessions will be arranged according to the availability and preferences of the
Active Comparator: control grubu	Other: control grup; Participants in the control group will receive no intervention during the study period. At baseline, participants will complete the pre-test assessments, including the Personal Information Form, the eHealth Literacy Scale, and the Digital Health Information Seeking and Verification Scale. After the completion of the experimental group intervention, post-test assessments will be administered. Following the study, digital literacy training will also be provided to control group participants.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
eHealth Literacy Scale	This scale was developed by C. Norman and H. Skinner in 2006 to measure eHealth literacy. The Turkish validity and reliability study was conducted by Tamer Gencer in 2017. The eHealth Literacy Scale consists of 8 items. A 5-point Likert-type scale is used for scoring the items, ranging from "strongly disagree," "disagree," "neutral," "agree," to "strongly agree." The total score obtained from the scale reflects the participant's level of eHealth literacy. The minimum possible score is 8, and the maximum score is 40. Higher scores indicate a higher level of eHealth literacy. The internal consistency reliability coefficient of the scale was calculated as 0.86.	Baseline and 6 weeks after intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Digital Health Information Seeking and Verification Scale	This scale was developed by Çömlekçi MF and Bozkanat E in 2021 to measure health-related information seeking, digital health information seeking, and digital verification behaviors. A 5-point Likert-type attitude scale is used for scoring the items, ranging from 1 ("never") to 5 ("always"). The total score of the scale ranges from 1 to 5. Higher scores indicate more positive outcomes. There are no reverse-coded items in the scale. Çömlekçi and Bozkanat reported the reliability of the scale with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient greater than 0.758. The scale can be applied to digital and media users aged 18 years and older. It consists of three sub-dimensions: F1: Web 1.0 and Health Information Seeking F2: Web 2.0 and Digital Health Information Seeking F3: Digital Verification Higher scores in all sub-dimensions indicate more positive outcomes.	Baseline and 6 weeks after intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Erzincan Binali Yildirim Universitesi

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): July 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): February 25, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 30, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 30, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): May 6, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 6, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 30, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Digital literacy, E-health literacy, Migrants, Mentorship, Older adults
• Other Study ID Numbers: 24

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No