Impact of online social participation on older adults’ attitude toward aging in China: a propensity score matching analysis

This survey aimed to examine the association between online social participation and attitudes toward aging among older adults within the Chinese socio‑cultural context. Stratified multi‑stage cluster sampling was adopted to obtain sample data. Multiple Linear Regression Model was employed to analyze the factors influencing older adults’ attitudes toward aging. Propensity Score Matching (PSM) was employed to estimate the Average Treatment Effect on the Treated (ATT) of online social participation on aging attitudes. (1) Among the 1,261 respondents, the mean score of attitude toward aging was 10.76 (SD = 5.55, possible range: 0‑20), with 45.0% reporting engagement in online social participation. (2) Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that online social participation, educational level, monthly income, marital status, chronic conditions, and self‑rated health were significant predictors of aging attitudes ( p < 0.01). (3) The ATT values estimated via kernel, radius and nearest neighbor methods were 1.6318, 1.5610 and 1.5549, respectively. (1) Older adults exhibit a relatively low overall level of online social participation, suggesting the necessity of further popularization and improvement. (2) Marital status, educational level, monthly income, self-rated health, and chronic conditions are significant influencing factors of aging attitudes among older adults. (3) Online social participation is significantly positively associated with older adults’ attitude toward aging.