https://doi.org/10.33573/ujoh2025.03.269
1 Laboratory of Occupational Labour Rehabilitation, Social Gerontology and Public Health Department, D. F. Chebotarev Institute of Gerontology of National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv
2 The Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University of Cherkasy, Cherkasy
3 Mykhailo Dragomanov Ukrainian State University, Kyiv
4 Kremenets regional humanities pedagogical academy named after Taras Shevchenko, Kremenets
Full article (PDF), UKR
Introduction. Maintaining professional employment and social activity of workers and pensioners is an important factor in preserving health, preventing functional decline, and supporting physiological and cognitive reserves, especially under conditions of prolonged stress caused by wartime. The rapid digital transformation of education, labor, and healthcare in Ukraine has significantly increased the importance of digital competence as a prerequisite for employability, professional rehabilitation, and social inclusion. However, age-related sensory, cognitive, and motor changes, combined with insufficient digital skills, may limit access to online learning, digital health services, and modern forms of work. Therefore, integrated monitoring of digital competence, sensory abilities, and health status becomes essential for inclusive online education and labor rehabilitation.
Purpose. The study aimed to assess digital competences, auditory performance, and health-related indicators among workers, pensioners, and other population groups using remote monitoring tools, and to identify their interrelationships as a basis for improving accessibility, inclusive online learning, and professional and labor rehabilitation.
Materials and Methods. The study was conducted using remote online monitoring of sensory functions, health indicators, and digital competences among adult participants, including workers and pensioners, under wartime conditions in Ukraine. Special attention was given to auditory perception as a key factor influencing learning efficiency, professional performance, and acquisition of digital skills. Auditory performance was assessed using an online testing tool based on the recognition of short mono- and disyllabic words presented in Ukrainian (for native speakers) and in simple English (as a second language). Audio stimuli included whispered and normal speech, delivered in standardized 30-second recordings. Multilingual adaptations were applied where appropriate.
Assessment of auditory memory and perception efficiency was integrated within the Human Health Passport framework. Additionally, pre-medical hearing screening was performed using a mobile application recommended by the World Health Organization (hearWHO), enabling automated calculation of correctly recognized auditory information and identification of potential hearing impairment. Digital competence was evaluated using standardized online self-assessment tools aligned with the DigComp 2.1 framework. Data were collected via personal digital devices, and statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and correlation analysis using standard software packages.
Results. Remote auditory monitoring revealed that up to 70% of respondents required attention regarding hearing health, with a decrease in the perception of whispered speech and foreign-language audio. Auditory performance significantly correlated with age (r = –0.485; p < 0.01) and overall health indicators from the Human Health Passport. Digital competence assessment showed that employed and self-employed respondents demonstrated higher levels of digital literacy compared to pensioners and non-working individuals. Significant age-related declines were observed in communication, cooperation, and digital safety competences. Digital competence positively correlated with health indicators, balance parameters, respiratory functional tests, and physical activity levels, indicating an association between digital skills, health reserves, and working capacity.
Conclusions. Remote monitoring of health, sensory abilities, and digital competences is an effective and sensitive tool for early detection of functional decline, subclinical health changes, and insufficient digital skills among workers and pensioners. Integration of digital competence assessment with health monitoring supports inclusive online learning, improves accessibility to digital services, and provides a practical basis for professional and labor rehabilitation. Such approaches are particularly relevant under wartime and post-war conditions, contributing to active aging, social inclusion, and sustainable workforce participation.
Keywords: vocational rehabilitation, digital skills, older workers, older adults, pensioners, health monitoring.