Background: The need for digital literacy in aging populations is increasing in the digitalizing society. Digital literacy involves
the identification, evaluation, and communication of information through various digital devices or relevant programs.
Objective: The aims of this study were to develop an Everyday Digital Literacy Questionnaire (EDLQ), a digital literacy
assessment scale, and subsequently evaluate its psychometric properties using a population of community-dwelling older adults
in South Korea.
Methods: The EDLQ was developed using an instrument development design. A nationwide survey was conducted, and the
study included 1016 community-dwelling older adults (age ≥60 years). To evaluate the psychometric properties, the participants
were randomly divided into 2 groups (n=508 each), and the internal consistency (Cronbach α and McDonald ω), structural validity
(exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis), hypothesis-testing construct validity using the eHealth Literacy
Scale (eHEALS), and measurement invariance were analyzed.
Results: Among the initial 30 items of the EDLQ, 22 items with a 3-factor solution had a total explained variance of 77%. The
domains included “information and communication” (9 items), “content creation and management” (4 items), and “safety and
security” (9 items). Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted with this 3-factor solution (χ2206=345.1; normed χ2206=1.7;
comparative fit index=0.997; Tucker-Lewis index=0.997; root-mean-square error of approximation=0.036; standardized
root-mean-square residual=0.050; composite reliability=0.903-0.959; average variance extracted=0.699-0.724; R2=0.616-0.773).
Hypothesis-testing construct validity with the eHEALS revealed a strong correlation (r=0.75). Cronbach α and McDonald ω
coefficients were .98 and 0.98, respectively. The fit indices for measurement invariance, including the configural, metric, and
scalar invariance models, demonstrated a satisfactory fit to the data. Our findings suggest that the psychometric properties of the
22-item EDLQ are valid and reliable for assessing digital literacy among older Korean adults.
Conclusions: In this study, we developed a digital literacy measure with strong psychometric properties that made it suitable
for assessing the digital literacy of community-dwelling older adults in Korea. To broaden its applicability, however, further
assessment of its feasibility for use with different languages and cultures is necessary. Moreover, more empirical research on
digital literacy and related factors in older adults can facilitate the development of personalized digital health care services and
educational interventions in the digital society.