The effect of digital literacy on depressive symptoms among older Korean women: a mediation analysis focusing on the role of social support

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between digital literacy and depressive symptoms, as well as the mediating role of social support in this relationship, among older women (60 years and older) in Korea. Methods: This study analyzed data from the User Experience Evaluation Survey, which was conducted by the Ewha Institute for Age Integration Research to improve the accessibility of digital information for older adults research from May to September 2020. Survey data on depressive symptoms, digital literacy, and social support were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression. Results: The factors influencing depressive symptoms among older women included work status (B=-.19, p=.01), social support (B=-.17, p<.001), self-rated health (B=-.13, p=.003), and digital literacy (B=-.10, p=.005), which had an explanatory power of 33%. In addition, social support played a mediating role in the relationship between digital literacy and depressive symptoms (B= -.05, SE=.02; 95% CI, -.09 to -.02). Conclusion: The findings of this study support the need to develop and apply interventions that promote digital literacy among older women to mitigate depressive symptoms by increasing social support.