Digital divide, social participation and depressive symptoms among older adults in rural Shandong Province, China: differences by educational level

With the acceleration of population aging and the rapid development of digital technology, the relationship between the digital divide and mental health of older adults has gradually attracted attention. This study aims to investigate the moderating role of social participation in the relationship between the digital divide and depressive symptoms among older adults with different educational levels in rural China. This cross-sectional study recruited participants using a multi-stage cluster random sampling method, and a total of 3,329 rural older adults were ultimately included. A multiple linear regression model and marginal effects plots were used to examine the association between the digital divide and depressive symptoms, as well as the moderating role of social participation. In addition, marginal effects plots were generated to illustrate the changing impact of the digital divide on depressive symptoms across different levels of social participation. 68.94% of rural older adults experienced the digital divide. Older adults experiencing the digital divide had significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms than those not experiencing the digital divide ( β = 0.040, Robust SE = 0.174, P < 0.05). We found that social participation significantly buffered the adverse effect of the digital divide on depressive symptoms ( β = −0.107, Robust SE = 0.044, P < 0.05). Furthermore, gender-stratified analyses revealed divergent moderation patterns: a significant buffering effect was observed among older adults with formal education ( β = −0.137, Robust SE = 0.051, P < 0.05), but was absent among those without formal education. The digital divide was significantly and positively associated with depressive symptoms among rural older adults. Social participation buffered this adverse relationship. Moreover, this buffering effect was observed among older adults with formal education. These findings highlight the necessity of developing differentiated digital inclusion strategies for older adults of different educational levels. Efforts should focus on bridging the digital divide and expanding offline social participation to enhance the mental health of older adults, particularly those with formal education.