Fairness, trust, and digital inclusion in older adults’ intention to continue using community smart services in China

Introduction Community smart services increasingly shape older adults’ access to public and health-related resources, making continued use an important dimension of digital inclusion. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study examines how public service fairness, digital self-efficacy, digital burden, perceived risk, and platform trust relate to older adults’ continuance intention. Methods Data were obtained from 520 older adults with matched responses across three survey waves in Ningbo, Hangzhou, and Shaoxing, China. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to examine the hypothesized relationships, supplemented by predictive analysis, necessary condition analysis (NCA), and follow-up interviews. Results Attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control were positively associated with continuance intention. Platform trust showed a strong positive association with attitude. Perceived risk was negatively associated with perceived behavioral control, although its specific indirect association with continuance intention was not statistically significant. NCA revealed moderate ceiling relationships for the three TPB constructs. Discussion The findings suggest that older adults’ continued engagement with community smart services depends on more than technological access. Trustworthy and understandable service procedures, perceived control, and accessible support may contribute to sustained use. These findings underscore the importance of age-friendly service design, transparent and correctable procedures, capability support, responsive assistance, and reliable offline alternatives in promoting digital inclusion.