Using Two-Step Cluster Analysis and Latent Class Analysis to Construct a Typology of Internet Users Among Community-Dwelling Older People

ABSTRACT

This study utilizes data, spanning 2016-2021, from the Belgian Ageing Studies and presents a typology of older internet users based on nine internet activities. Two-step Cluster Analysis and Latent Class Analysis revealed three groups: (1) “Basic users” primarily engage in information search and mailing, (2) “Allrounders” participate in nearly all internet activities and (3) “Selective users” are intermediary, predominantly using the internet for information search, mailing, e-banking and communication with (grand)children. These clusters varied in sociodemographic characteristics, with “Allrounders” being younger, more educated, wealthier and predominantly male, compared to “Selective users” and “Basic users,” respectively.

KEYWORDS:

• Older people
• internet activities
• online behavior
• cluster analysis
• internet typology

Acknowledgments

The Digital Ageing consortium is composed of researchers from Vrije Universiteit Brussel and University of Antwerp: Ignace Glorieux, Dimitri Mortelmans, An Jacobs, Anina Vercruyssen, Nico De Witte, Ilse Mariën, Werner Schirmer, Bram Spruyt, Cora Van Leeuwen, Jorrit Campens and Nelly Geerts. The authors would like to thank the other members of the Digital Ageing Consortium.

Furthermore, we would like to express our deep gratitude to the founders of the Belgian Ageing Studies for using their data. The authors also want to thank dr. Frank Deruyck (Centre for Applied Data Science, HOGENT University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Ghent, Belgium) for sharing his expertise in clustering analysis approaches.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Research Foundation – Flanders FWO [SBO-grant S005221N].