Digital literacy and health of older people in a Korean rural village

Abstract

Digital literacy plays a significant role in the health and well-being of older adults. The purpose of this research is to analyze the level of digital literacy of older people residing in a rural village in Korea and explore the relationship between digital literacy and their health. A secondary data analysis was conducted from the Korean Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (KSHAP). The KSHAP cohort K included participants aged 60 years or older. A survey involving 573 rural residents was conducted from January to March in 2023. When education level, work, marital status and income level were controlled the overall health was influenced by the smartphone use ability (R²=0.123, p<0.05). Digital access had effect on independent living (R²=0.128, p<0.05) and physical pain (R²=0.091, p<0.05). Use of digital device also influenced physical pain (R²=0.108, p<0.01) and depressive mood (R²=0.241. p<0.05). Smartphone use ability also showed positive effect on mobility (R²=0.1029, p<0.05. The findings of KSHAP suggests some implications for improving digital literacy among older adults in rural Korea to support healthier aging. Continued effort for enhancing accessibility to the digital devices and providing more opportunities for digital capacity-building is needed in rural areas.