2026-10-14T19:44:01Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/32805269 2026-10-01T16:16:57Z portal_1172 item_type_8 month_year_10_2026

Mobile phone and mobile financial services use, and eye health among rural Bangladeshi older adults receiving social protection Sharmin Shitol (24292595) PUREID: 670446700 Social safety net Bangladesh mobile financial services older adults old age allowance widow allowance vision impairment Aageing smartphone The digitisation of social safety net programmes in Bangladesh has transformed benefit delivery, replacing manual cash-based systems with mobile financial services (MFS). While this transition aims to improve efficiency, transparency, and financial inclusion, it presents distinct challenges for older adults in rural areas. This dissertation examines the experiences of rural recipients of the Old Age Allowance (OAA) and Widow Allowance (WA) and explores the influence of perceptions of ageing, smartphone use, MFS app use, and vision impairment (VI) on older adults’ confidence, expectations, and anticipated ability to use the MFS app in future. The study was conducted in Kurigram, where recipients access allowances via the USSD-based MFS platform and have access to local eye-care interventions. In-depth interviews were conducted with 68 recipients, including 38 OAA recipients (18 women, 20 men) and 30 WA recipients, alongside 20 family members involved in allowance management. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis with the framework method and reflexive thematic analysis. The study examined three domains. The first domain explored the recipients’ experience with allowance receipt, revealing that administrative support facilitated enrolment and disbursement. 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. 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. Thesis is embargoed until 31 July 2027. 2026-10-01T16:16:57Z Text Thesis 10.17034/32805269.v1 https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/Mobile_phone_and_mobile_financial_services_use_and_eye_health_among_rural_Bangladeshi_older_adults_receiving_social_protection/32805269 All Rights Reserved Open Access after 2027-07-31