Digital Independence Linked to Functional Independence among Adults with Intellectual Disability

Previous studies indicate that people with intellectual disability are interested in information about their daily life experiences. However, their information behavior has not been examined in relation to their executive function. In this article, we characterize the participants’ health information interests, preferred sources, and search experiences, in relation to their executive function reported through shopping-related activities. A total of 39 participants, aged 19–59 years, who could verbally communicate their daily-life information-seeking experiences were included in the survey. Data was collected using an accessible survey delivered through structured interviews by a researcher familiar with the participants. The quantitative data was used for bar chart creation and cluster analysis. The k -means cluster analysis grouped participants into two distinct clusters; within each cluster, the participant characteristics concerning preferred health information sources, highest educational attainment, and independence in shopping-related functions (functional independence) were found to be homogeneous. Participants who were independent in all four shopping-related functions had vocational training and reported accessing health information from the Internet and chemists. The study highlights that digital independence is linked to the participants’ functional independence. This behavior approach offers novel insights into user profiling, moving beyond traditional IQ-based models, which may guide inclusive technology solutions.