Digital application competence among adults with disabilities in South Korea: associations with latent profiles of digital attitudes and digital self-efficacy

Introduction As public services in South Korea rapidly digitalize, adults with disabilities remain at heightened risk of digital exclusion beyond access barriers. This study aims to identify joint profiles of digital attitudes and digital self-efficacy among adults with disabilities and examine their associations with digital application competence. We further test whether these associations differ by disability type. Methods This study used nationally representative data from the 2024 Digital Information Divide Survey (DIDS; N = 2,155). We employed latent profile analysis to identify digital attitudes–digital self-efficacy profiles and regression models to examine their associations with digital application competence, including tests of disability type moderation while adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, and disability-related covariates. Results First, latent profile analysis identified five profiles: Low Attitudes–Low Self-Efficacy, Moderate Attitudes–Moderate Self-Efficacy, High Attitudes–Low Self-Efficacy, High Attitudes–High Self-Efficacy, and Very High Attitudes–Very High Self-Efficacy. Second, relative to the Low Attitudes–Low Self-Efficacy profile, all other profiles were associated with higher digital application competence, with the largest advantages observed for the High Attitudes–High Self-Efficacy and Very High Attitudes–Very High Self-Efficacy profiles. Finally, disability type did not significantly moderate the association between psychological profiles and competence, although baseline digital application competence differed across disability types. Conclusion These findings underscore meaningful psychological heterogeneity among adults with disabilities and show that attitude–self-efficacy configurations are systematically linked to task-oriented digital competence. Digital inclusion efforts should combine profile-informed support, especially strengthening digital self-efficacy, with accessibility-oriented design and structural supports in digital service environments.