Digital literacy and successful aging among older adults in Southwest China: indirect pathways involving social participation and psychological well-being

Background Digital exclusion may restrict older adults’ access to health information, public services, and social resources. Evidence remains limited on how multidimensional digital literacy is associated with successful aging and how social participation and psychological well-being relate to this association. This study examined these relationships among older adults in Southwest China. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional paper-based survey of 1158 adults aged 60 years or older in Southwest China from January to March 2025. Participants completed validated measures of successful aging, digital literacy, social participation, World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index psychological well-being, and frailty. The primary analysis used multivariable linear regression. An exploratory observed-variable path analysis estimated direct and indirect associations using 5000 bias-corrected bootstrap samples, and a sensitivity analysis excluded the online participation domain. Results The mean (standard deviation) successful aging score was 46.83 (13.07). In the primary multivariable model, digital literacy (B = 0.057, 95% confidence interval [0.014, 0.100], P = 0.009), social participation (B = 0.098, 95% confidence interval [0.052, 0.144], P < 0.001), and psychological well-being (B = 1.328, 95% confidence interval [1.208, 1.448], P < 0.001) were positively associated with successful aging, while frailty was inversely associated (B = -1.065, 95% confidence interval [-1.558, -0.573], P < 0.001). Exploratory path analysis identified an indirect association through social participation (B = 0.053, 95% confidence interval [0.024, 0.085]) and a serial indirect association through social participation and psychological well-being (B = 0.075, 95% confidence interval [0.057, 0.096]). The serial estimate remained similar after online participation was excluded (B = 0.062, 95% confidence interval [0.048, 0.080]), supporting the robustness of the core cross-sectional pattern; however, the psychological well-being-only indirect association was sensitive to the composition of the social participation measure. Conclusions Higher digital literacy, greater social participation, and better psychological well-being were independently associated with higher successful aging scores, whereas frailty was inversely associated, among older adults in Southwest China. Exploratory path estimates were consistent with indirect associations involving social participation and psychological well-being. Given the cross-sectional design, temporal ordering and causality cannot be established. These findings may inform public health assessment and strategies addressing digital inclusion, social participation, and psychological well-being as interconnected dimensions of healthy aging.