The association between digital literacy and depressive symptoms in older adults: Focusing on the moderating effect of age group

Objectives: This study examined the association between digital literacy and depressive symptoms among Korean older adults using 2023 national survey data, and tested whether age group and social participation moderated this association. Methods: Of 10,078 respondents, 9,951 non-proxy respondents were analyzed. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Short Form of Geriatric Depression Scale (score ≥8), and digital literacy was measured using a 13-item device utilization score. Multiple logistic regression accounting for the complex sampling design (strata, clusters, and weights) was used, controlling for sociodemographic and health-related covariates. Interaction terms for digital literacy×age group and digital literacy×social participation were tested, with subgroup analysis conducted for the significant interaction. Results: Higher digital literacy was associated with lower odds of depressive symptoms (OR=0.96, 95% CI 0.92–1.00). The digital literacy×age group interaction was significant ( p=.0053), but the interaction with social participation was not ( p=.4271). In the age-stratified analysis, a significant association was found only among the 65–74 age group (OR=0.92, 95% CI 0.88–0.96). Conclusion: The association between digital literacy and depressive symptoms was significantly moderated by age group, particularly among young-old adults (65–74). In contrast, social participation showed an independent association with depressive symptoms but did not moderate the association.