Association of smart elderly care and quality of life among older adults: the mediating role of social support

Abstract Background In the current context of ageing, the field of smart elderly care has gradually developed, contributing to the promotion of health among older adults. While the positive impact on health has been established, there is a scarcity of research examining its impact on the quality of life (QoL). This study aims to investigate the mediating role of social support in the relationship between smart elderly care and QoL among older adults. Methods A total of 1313 older adults from Zhejiang Province, China, participated in the study. Questionnaires were used to collect data on participants’ basic demographic information, smart elderly care, social support, and QoL. The descriptive analyses of the demographic characteristics and correlation analyses of the three variables were calculated. Indirect effects were tested using bootstrapped confidence intervals (CI). Results The analysis revealed a positive association between smart elderly care and social support (β = 0.42, p < 0.01), as well as a positive correlation between social support and QoL (β = 0.65, p < 0.01). Notably, social support emerged as an important independent mediator (effect size = 0.28, 95% bootstrap CI 0.24 to 0.32) in the relationship between smart elderly care and QoL. Conclusions The results of this study underscore the importance of promoting the utilization of smart elderly care and improving multi-faceted social support for older adults, as these factors positively contribute to the overall QoL.