Background: e-health literacy can facilitate the uptake of benefits of health for older adults. In this review, we aimed to tabulate the types and outcomes of the theory-based e-health interventions that had been applied to improve the e-health literacy of older adults. Methods: In this systematic review, theory-based e-health literacy interventions that published up to April 2020 were retrieved from several online electronic databases, including Medline via PubMed, Cochrane Library, ProQuest, and EMBASE. The published papers were included in this study, if the study had been conducted on older adults, a theory-based intervention aimed at promoting e-health literacy, and had been written in English language in the timeframe of 2008-2020. Results: A total of 1658 records were identified initially, of which, 12 articles met the inclusion criteria. The systematic review identified the using of variety of intrapersonal, interpersonal, and societal level conceptual models in enhancing of e-health literacy in older adults, and the concept of self-efficacy was applied in the most of interventions as the main conceptual theoretical framework. Conclusions: Despite the paucity of conceptual models, which are specifically designed for e-health literacy interventions, based on our findings, we recommend self-efficacy as a powerful concept that can play an important role in improving e-health literacy in older adults.

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Despite the increasing number of older adults’ growing need for health information, little is known about their motivation to seek online health information. This exploratory qualitative study was conducted to examine why older adults seek required health information through online sources. In this qualitative content analysis, we purposefully approached 19 older adults with age in the range between 60–75 (63.78 ± 3.8 years) in Tabriz, Iran. Data were collected via individual, semi-structured face-to-face interviews at a place and time convenient to the study participants from October 2018 to September 2019. We evaluated the content of recorded data until saturation was reached, using MAXQDA 10 software. Subsequently, four central motivational themes were emerged including being self-reliant, achieving a healthier life, seeking reliable sources of health information, and accumulating health information. Older adults seek health information based on their needs and expectations to achieve optimal health status. Our findings provide valuable information for nurses and other health care providers to facilitate older adults’ access to trusting and valid online health information. It further suggests that, with the consideration of COVID-19 pandemic, fact-checking skills of elderly in identifying and accessing credible information sources should be addressed in future health literacy interventions.

Background: Although mass vaccination is considered one of the most effective public health strategies during the pandemic, in the COVID-19 era, many people considered vaccines unnecessary and, or doubted the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine. This review aimed to tabulate cognitive causes of COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy, which may help public health policymakers overcome the barriers to mass vaccinations in future pandemics. Methods: For this systematic review, studies pertaining to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy published up to June 2022 were retrieved from six online databases (Cochrane Library, Google Scholar Medline through PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science). Inclusion criteria were the studies conducted on people who had a delay in accepting or refusing COVID-19 vaccines, reported the impact of cognitive determinants on vaccine hesitancy, and were written in English in the timeframe of 2020–2022. Results: This systematic review initially reviewed 1171 records. From these 91 articles met the inclusion criteria. The vaccination hesitation rate was 29.72% on average. This systematic review identified several cognitive determinants influencing vaccination hesitancy. Lack of confidence and complacency were the most frequent factors that predicted vaccine hesitancy. Conclusion: The identified prevailing cognitive determinants for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy indicated that using initiative and effective communication strategies would be a determinant factor in building people’s trust in vaccines during the pandemic and mass vaccinations.

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The Internet is an important source for health information and a medium for older adults’ empowerment in health decision-making and self-caring. Therefore, we aimed to identify the potential motivators and probable barriers of e-health information-seeking behaviors (e-HISB) among older Iranian adults. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A cross-sectional study assessed the usefulness of self-efficacy, perceived encouragement, positive attitude toward e-HISB, perceived usefulness, challenges of being visited by physicians, and perceived barriers in predicting e-HISB in a sample of 320 older adults in Tabriz, Iran. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The self-efficacy for online information seeking, positive attitude toward e-HISB, and perceived usefulness increased the odds of e-HISB by 12.00%, 24.00%, and 15.00%, respectively. In addition, e-health literacy, conflicting information, distrust of online information, and web designs that were not senior-friendly were the major barriers to e-HISB. <b><i>Discussion/Conclusion:</i></b> The theoretical and practical implications of the motivators and barriers of e-HISB can be instrumental in designing and executing programs aimed at improving e-health literacy among older adults especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.