Experiences of Participating in Digital Society in Later Life: Insights from a Comparative Study on Older Adults with and Without Impairments

Arlind Reuter; Stefan Johansson; Junia Joffer; Catharina Gustavsson

doi:10.16993/sjdr.1364

Experiences of Participating in Digital Society in Later Life: Insights from a Comparative Study on Older Adults with and Without Impairments

Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research

Volume 28 (2026): Issue 1

By: Arlind Reuter , Stefan Johansson , Junia Joffer and Catharina Gustavsson

Open Access

|Jul 2026

Figures & Tables

The SMFOI23 question on perceived inclusion and participation in digital society.

Table 1

Descriptive characteristics of older participants in SMFOI23 with impairments (WI) (n = 441) and without impairments (WOI) (n = 883) by age categories and comparison between participants WI and WOI.

	WI 65–75 YEARS n = 236	WOI 65–75 YEARS n = 522	COMPARISON WI TO WOI BY AGE CATEGORY	WI ≥76 YEARS n = 205	WOI ≥76 YEARS n = 361	COMPARISON WI TO WOI BY AGE CATEGORY
	n(%)	n(%)	CHI2	n(%)	n(%)	CHI2
Types of impairment
Language impairments	34 (14)			39 (19)
Intellectual impairments	16 (7)			17 (8)
Attention & memory	51 (22)			40 (20)
Neurological & musculoskeletal	96 (41)			67 (33)
Mental & emotional	21 (9)			19 (9)
Blindness	4 (2)			5 (2)
Visual impairments	80 (34)			102 (50)
Deaf-blindness	3 (1)			1 (<1)
Deafness	21 (9)			10 (5)
Hearing impairments	14 (6)			15 (7)
Other impairments	30 (13)			26 (13)
Gender	n = 235^a	n = 521^a	p = 0.789	n = 203^a	n = 357^a	p = 0.994
Woman	146 (62)	317 (61)		85 (42)	149 (42)
Men	88 (37)	203 (39)		117 (58)	206 (58)
Other	0 (0)	0 (0)		0 (0)	0 (0)
I don’t want to answer	1 (<1)	1 (<1)		1 (<1)	2 (1)
Education (highest)	n = 236^a	n = 518^a	p = 0.048	n = 203^a	n = 358^a	p = 0.134
Compulsory school	20 (8)	50 (10)		25 (12)	53 (15)
Special education school	4 (2)	4 (1)		2 (1)	5 (1)
Upper secondary school	54 (23)	127 (24)		39 (19)	58 (16)
Vocational or Folk high school	32 (14)	100 (19)		37 (18)	84 (23)
University	119 (50)	233 (45)		94 (46)	135 (38)
Other/I don’t know	7 (3)	4 (1)		6 (3)	23 (6)
Monthly income^b	n = 232^a	n = 514^a	p = 0.027	n = 200^a	n = 358^a	p = 0.999
Very low income	3 (1)	11 (2)		3 (2)	6 (2)
Low income	38 (16)	84 (16)		25 (13)	48 (13)
Lower-middle income	89 (38)	192 (37)		88 (44)	155 (43)
Higher-middle income	58 (25)	137 (27)		48 (24)	87 (24)
High income	7 (3)	41 (8)		10 (5)	17 (5)
I don’t want to answer	37 (16)	49 (10)		26 (13)	45 (13)
Cohabitant status	n = 234^a	n = 521^a	p = 0.001	n = 199^a	n = 358^a	p = 0.124
Living alone	90 (38)	140 (27)		82 (41)	124 (35)
Cohabiting	144 (62)	381 (73)		117 (59)	234 (65)
Support in daily life activities	n = 234^a	n = 516^a	p > 0.001	n = 199^a	n = 354^a	p > 0.001
Yes	49 (21)	6 (1)		48 (24)	21 (6)
No	185 (79)	510 (99)		151 (76)	333 (94)
Access to a smartphone	n = 230^a	n = 517^a	p = 0.001	n = 196^a	n = 348^a	p = 0.015
Yes	212 (92)	503 (97)		165 (84)	317 (91)
No	18 (8)	14 (3)		31 (16)	31 (9)
Access to a computer at home	n = 234^a	n = 519^a	p = 0.718	n = 197^a	n = 352^a	p = 0.148
Yes	209 (89)	468 (90)		170 (86)	318 (90)
No	25 (11)	51 (10)		27 (14)	34 (10)
Access to a tablet	n = 232^a	n = 514^a	p = 0.064	n = 192^a	n = 350^a	p = 0.315
Yes	162 (70)	323 (63)		115 (60)	194 (55)
No	70 (30)	191 (37)		77 (40)	156 (45)
Do you use the internet?	n = 236^a	n = 522^a	p = 0.565	n = 205^a	n = 361^a	p = 0.008
Yes	231 (98)	514 (98)		181 (88)	341 (94)
No	5 (2)	8 (2)		24 (12)	20 (6)
Do you usually ask someone for help to do things online?	n = 232^a	n = 467^a	p = 0.960	n = 194^a	n = 317^a	p = 0.357
Yes	66 (28)	132 (28)		87 (45)	129 (41)
No	166 (72)	335 (72)		107 (55)	188 (59)

[i] ^a Number of participants responding to the question.

^b Definition of income levels: Very low income = ≥9,999 Swedish Krona (SEK), Low income = 10,000–14,999 Swedish Krona (SEK), Lower-middle income = 15,000–24,999 Swedish Krona (SEK), Higher-middle income = 25,000–49,999 Swedish Krona (SEK), High income = ≥ 50,000 Swedish Krona (SEK).

Table 2

Results from the question with fixed-response options on feeling included in digital society by impairment status and age category and comparison between participants with impairments (WI) and without impairments (WOI).

	WI 65–75 YEARSN = 236	WOI65–75 YEARSN = 522	COMPARISON WI TO WOI BY AGE CATEGORY	WI ≥76 YEARSN = 205	WOI≥76 YEARSN = 361	COMPARISON WI TO WOIBY AGE CATEGORY
	n (%)	n (%)	CHI2	n (%)	n (%)	CHI2
Do you feel included in the digital society?	n = 229^a	n = 513^a	p = 0.246	n = 193^a	n = 341^a	p = 0.012
Yes	143 (62)	346 (67)		80 (41)	176 (50)
To some extent	73 (32)	149 (29)		87 (45)	143 (42)
No	13 (6)	18 (4)		26 (13)	23 (7)

[i] ^aNumber of participants responding to the question.

Table 3

Univariable binary logistic regression analyses examining the associations between age category, impairment status, and a group allocation combining age category and impairment status (independent variables) and feeling included in digital society (dependent variable).

	FEEL INCLUDED IN DIGITAL SOCIETY	DON’T FEEL INCLUDED IN DIGITAL SOCIETY	UNIVARIABLE LOGISTIC REGRESSION ANALYSES
	n (%)	n (%)	OR	CI	P-VALUE
Age categories
65–75 years	489 (65.9)	253 (34.1)	1.00	Ref.
≥76 years	256 (47.8)	279 (52.2)	2.11	1.68–2.65	<0.01
Impairment status
WOI	522 (61.0)	333 (39.0)	1.00	Ref.
WI	223 (52.8)	199 (47.2)	1.40	1.11–1.77	<0.01
Group allocation
65–75 years, WOI	346 (67.5)	167 (32.5)	1.00	Ref.
≥76 years, WOI	176 (51.5)	166 (48.5)	1.95	1.48–2.59	<0.01
65–75 years, WI	143 (62.5)	86 (37.5)	1.25	0.90–1.72	0.19
≥76 years, WI	80 (41.5)	113 (58.5)	2.93	2.09–4.13	<0.01

[i] WI: with impairments, WOI: without impairments.

Table 4

Multivariable binary logistic regression analyses (n = 1175) examining the association between groups based on combining age category and impairment status, and feeling included in digital society (independent variables), and perceived difficulties in the use of digital systems and services (dependent variables).

		GROUPS BY AGE CATEGORY AND IMPAIRMENT STATUS				FEELING INCLUDED IN DIGITAL SOCIETY
		65–75 YEARS, WOI	≥76 YEARS, WOI	65–75 YEARS, WI	≥76 YEARS, WI	INCLUDED	NOT INCLUDED, OR INCLUDED TO SOME EXTENT
Find it difficult to search for information	n (%)	7 (1.5)	15 (4.8)	13 (6.0)	16 (9.4)	12 (1.7)	39 (8.3)
	OR	1.00	2.77	4.09	5.17	1.00	4.58
	CI	Ref.	1.14–7.37	1.63–11.10	2.14–13.83	Ref.	2.42–9.31
	p-value		0.03	<0.01	<0.01		<0.01
Find it difficult to navigate on the internet, or to find the right web pages	n (%)	42 (8.8)	47 (15.1)	33 (15.3)	38 (22.3)	31 (4.4)	129 (27.6)
	OR	1.00	1.43	1.79	2.09	1.00	7.85
	CI	Ref.	0.90–2.28	1.06–3.00	1.25–3.48	Ref.	5.24–12.10
	p-value		0.13	0.03	<0.01		<0.01
Find it difficult to use online services (e.g. fill in forms or buy/order things)	n (%)	41 (8.6)	41 (13.1)	20 (9.3)	38 (22.3)	17 (2.4)	123 (26.3)
	OR	1.00	1.18	0.96	2.04	1.00	13.59
	CI	Ref.	0.72–1.92	0.52–1.72	1.21–3.45	Ref.	8.25–23.81
	p-value		0.51	0.89	<0.01		<0.01
Find it difficult to understand the content on webpages	n (%)	15 (3.1)	26 (8.3)	11 (5.1)	14 (8.2)	14 (2.0)	52 (11.1)
	OR	1.00	2.25	1.53	1.95	1.00	5.65
	CI	Ref.	1.17–4.48	0.67–3.42	0.90–4.23	Ref.	3.16–10.77
	p-value		0.02	0.30	0.09		<0.01
Find it difficult to handle passwords	n (%)	53 (11.1)	74 (23.7)	36 (16.7)	39 (22.9)	62 (8.8)	140 (30.0)
	OR	1.00	2.13	1.53	1.80	1.00	4.14
	CI	Ref.	1.43–3.18	0.95–2.45	1.11–2.88	Ref.	2.98–5.80
	p-value		<0.01	0.08	0.01		<0.01
Experience difficulties with how web content or web pages are designed	n (%)	15 (3.1)	20 (6.4)	32 (14.9)	27 (15.9)	26 (3.7)	68 (16.6)
	OR	1.00	1.73	5.30	4.44	1.00	4.20
	CI	Ref.	0.87–3.53	2.82–10.39	2.29–8.88	Ref.	2.63–6.91
	p-value		0.12	<0.01	<0.01		<0.01

[i] WI: with impairments, WOI: without impairments.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.16993/sjdr.1364 | Journal eISSN: 1745-3011

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Language: English

Page range: 309 - 324

Submitted on: Sep 7, 2025

Accepted on: May 18, 2026

Published on: Jul 7, 2026

Published by: Stockholm University Press

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

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© 2026 Arlind Reuter, Stefan Johansson, Junia Joffer, Catharina Gustavsson, published by Stockholm University Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 28 (2026): Issue 1

Experiences of Participating in Digital Society in Later Life: Insights from a Comparative Study on Older Adults with and Without Impairments

Figures & Tables

Figure 1

Table 1

Table 2

Table 3

Table 4

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