The impact of ageism experiences on social participation among community-dwelling older adults: Exploring the moderating role of digital literacy.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: This study examined how digital literacy moderates the relationship between ageism experiences and social participation among community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: Regression analysis of data from the 2020 National Survey of Older Koreans with 9,920 participants was conducted to identify the association of ageism experiences with social participation in model 1. The moderating effects of digital literacy were examined by adding an interaction term in model 2. RESULTS: In model 1, both ageism experiences and digital literacy were significant predictors of social participation. However, in model 2, the interaction term of digital literacy rendered the association between ageism experiences and social participation non-significant. Model 2 explained approximately 18.4 % of the total variance in social participation. CONCLUSIONS: By highlighting the importance of digital literacy in increasing social participation among older adults, this study offers valuable insights for interventions aimed at improving digital literacy to promote successful aging in a technology-dependent society.