The Impact of Digital Inequality on the Accessibility of Elderly Care Services in the Capital Regions of Russia and China

The Impact of Digital Inequality on the Accessibility of Elderly Care Services in the Capital Regions of Russia and China


Zhang Jie

lecturer at the Department of Home Economics, School of Humanities and Law, Нenan University of Animal Husbandry and Economy, Zhengzhou, Province Henan, China. galya66888@mail.ru

ID of the Article: 11077


This research was supported by the Doctoral Research Startup Fund Project of Henan University of Animal Husbandry and Economy (Project No. 2023HNUAHEDF030) and Project of Humanities and Social Sciences Research in Universities of Henan Province (Project No. 2027-ZDJH-601). 本文由河南牧业经济学院博士科研启动资金资助(项目编号:2023HNUAHEDF030)和河南省高校人文社 会科学研究一般项目(项目编号:2027-ZDJH-601)资助.


For citation:

Zhang Jie The Impact of Digital Inequality on the Accessibility of Elderly Care Services in the Capital Regions of Russia and China. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2026. No 8. P. 106-115



Abstract

This article analyzes the impact of the digital divide on the accessibility of communitybased elderly care services in the capital regions of Russia and China. A comparative cross-sectional study (N = 250) among social service providers was used to assess the relationship between digital inclusion, digital literacy, and service accessibility indicators among the elderly. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were used. The results demonstrate that access to digital technologies and the level of digital skills among the elderly are significantly associated with service accessibility. The moderating role of national context and the greater impact of the digital divide in a digitalized environment are revealed. The findings confirm that digital inequality, in the context of an aging population, is becoming a structural factor in social stratification and requires the integration of digital inclusion principles into the social service system.


Keywords
digital inequality; digital inclusion; older adults; community-based care; Russia, China

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Content No 8, 2026