Mobile phone and mobile financial services use, and eye health among rural Bangladeshi older adults receiving social protection

However, challenges included unofficial payment demands, delayed transfers, and difficulty accessing MFS accounts, with limited digital literacy leading many to share PINs or rely on family intermediaries. The second domain focused on perceptions of ageing and technology use, highlighting declining capacity, uncertainty, and proximity to death; smartphones were seen as difficult, costly, unnecessary, and complex, while the MFS app was recognised as beneficial but challenging.

The third domain examined the perceptions of VI and eye-care seeking, showing VI as a critical, under-recognised barrier affecting daily activities and potentially influencing future smartphone and MFS use.<br><br>To address these gaps and ensure meaningful digital inclusion, age- and vision-sensitive design, strengthened local administrative capacity, digital literacy initiatives, and coordinated government–MFS collaboration are essential.

By integrating social protection with digitisation and intergenerational dynamics, this study provides a novel contribution to understanding digital inclusion in low-resource settings, bridging ageing, digital engagement, and social welfare.<br><br><i>Thesis is embargoed until 31 July 2027.</i><br>