Psychosocial and Demographic Predictors of SNS Usage Patterns among People with Disabilities

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine the social networking service (SNS) usage behaviors and predictors among people with disabilities.Methods: A secondary data from a three-year Disability and Life Dynamics Panel (2018, 2019, 2020) were used for data analysis. Data from 3,160 individuals with disabilities were analyzed. This study classified SNS usage into non-users, intermittent users, and consistent users, examining demographic, psychosocial, and behavioral characteristics. A multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify predictors of SNS usage.Results: Among 3,160 participants, 67.7% were non-users, 25.1% were intermittent users, and 7.2% were consistent users. The multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that predictors of non-user status included age (<i>p</i>< 0.001), education level (<i>p</i>= 0.006), degree of disability (<i>p</i>= 0.011), depression (<i>p</i>= 0.004), social satisfaction (<i>p</i>< 0.001), perceived social isolation (<i>p</i>= 0.009), and number of close relatives/friends (<i>p</i>< 0.001). Older age, lower education, severe disability, higher depression, lower social satisfaction, higher perceived social isolation, and fewer close acquaintances increased the likelihood of being a non-user. Predictors of intermittent user status included older age (<i>p</i>< 0.001) and higher perceived isolation (<i>p</i>= 0.029).Conclusions: The findings highlight the need for tailored support programs that enhance digital literacy and provide psychological and social support to help people with disabilities harness the positive effects of SNS for information exchange and social interaction. These efforts can improve social connections and overall well-being among people with disabilities.