Purpose With the intensifying aging population in China, the development of the older adults care industry faces significant challenges. This study aims to explore the empowering effect of digital technology on the development of the older adults care industry, reveal its underlying mechanisms, and analyze regional disparities across eastern, central, and western China. Methods Utilizing panel data from 30 provincial-level regions in China from 2014 to 2021, this study employs regression analysis and mediation effect models. The analysis examines the impact of the digital technology on the older adults care industry value, investigating the mediating roles of capital allocation efficiency, new product development rate, and enterprise digitalization Level. Key Findings The study confirms that digital technology exerts a significant direct promoting effect on the development of the older adults care industry. Concurrently, digital technology indirectly drives industry growth through enhanced capital allocation efficiency, stimulated new product development, and increased enterprise digitalization. Furthermore, this empowering effect exhibits significant regional variations across eastern, central, and western China, with the eastern region benefiting the most, while the central and western regions show relatively weaker effects. Conclusions and Implications The findings demonstrate that digital technology is a crucial driver for the older adults care industry, exerting its influence through multiple channels. The observed regional disparities highlight the critical importance of tailored policies: the eastern region should leverage its existing digital advantages, whereas the central and western regions need to enhance digital infrastructure and policy support to narrow the gap and promote balanced development of the national older adults care industry.
Jiaxin He (Thu,) studied this question.
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