The Effect of Digital Literacy Training on Physical Activity App Acceptance and Behavioral Intentions among Older Women: An Experimental Study

Physical activity apps offer significant potential to promote physical activity and active aging; however, their acceptance among older adults remains limited, often due to insufficient digital literacy. This study aimed to examine whether targeted, app-specific digital literacy training can improve eHealth literacy, acceptance of physical activity apps, and behavioral intentions among older women, drawing on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) extended with a personal innovativeness construct. A total of 63 older women (M = 67.0, SD = 4.6) were randomly assigned to an experimental (n = 32) or control group (n = 31). The experimental group participated in a nine-week digital literacy training focused on practical use of physical activity apps. Measures were collected before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures MANOVA and ANOVAs. A significant Group × Time interaction was observed for technology acceptance (Wilks’ Λ = 0.41, F (7, 54) = 11.14, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.59). The experimental group showed significant improvements across all measured constructs. The largest effects were found for eHealth literacy (ηp2 = 0.39) and intention to use physical activity apps (ηp2 = 0.24). App-specific digital literacy training can enhance technology acceptance and support physical activity–related intentions among older women, highlighting its potential to reduce digital barriers and promote active aging. The findings reflect short-term, self-reported changes in technology acceptance and behavioral intentions.