Survey Questionnaire

Dear Participant,

Thank you for participating in this academic research study.

This survey aims to investigate how the increasing digitalisation of public services in China affects the accessibility and inclusion of middle-aged and older adults. In particular, the study examines whether factors such as age, educational background, residential location, and digital literacy influence people's ability to access and use digital public services.

In this survey, digital public services refer to government and public services accessed through digital channels, including government websites, mobile applications, WeChat or Alipay mini-programs, QR codes, electronic identity verification systems, and other online platforms. Examples include hospital registration, healthcare and social security services, pension-related services, government document applications, public transportation, and community services.

The survey is anonymous and the information collected will be used solely for academic research. There are no right or wrong answers. Please answer based on your own experiences and circumstances.

The survey takes approximately 8–10 minutes to complete.

Thank you for your valuable participation.

Section 1. Demographic Information
Q1. What is your age?
Q2. What is your gender?
Q3. What is your highest level of education?
Q4. Where do you currently live?
Province / Municipality / Autonomous Region:
City / District:
Q5. How would you describe the area where you currently live?
Q6. What is your current living arrangement?
Q7. What is your current employment status?

Section 2. Internet and Digital Technology Use

Q8. Do you currently own and use a smartphone?
Q9. Approximately how much time do you spend using a smartphone or the Internet each day?
Q10. What do you mainly use the Internet or smartphone for?
Q11. Which digital devices do you regularly use?
Section 3. Digital Skills and Digital Literacy 1 = Cannot do at all 2 = Not very capable 3 = Moderate 4 = Capable 5 = Very capable
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Q12. Download and install a mobile application independently.
Q13. Register an account on a new application or mini-program.
Q14. Set or change an account password.
Q15. Use SMS verification codes for identity verification.
Q16. Use QR codes independently.
Q17. Use facial recognition or other digital identity verification methods.
Q18. Upload identification documents, photographs, or other electronic files.
Q19. Search for information within an application or mini-program.
Q20. Find a solution when I encounter a problem while using an application.
Q21. Learn how to use a digital platform that I have not used before.
Section 4. Use of Digital Public Services
Q22. Have you used any digital government or public service during the past 12 months?
Q23. Which of the following digital public services have you used during the past 12 months?
Q24. How do you normally access digital public services?
Q25. How frequently do you use digital public services?
Section 5. Accessibility and Convenience of Digital Public Services
Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements.
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Q26. I can easily find the public service that I need.
Q27. The steps required to use digital public services are easy for me to understand.
Q28. The text, icons, and buttons on digital public-service platforms are easy for me to understand and use.
Q29. I can complete most digital public-service procedures independently.
Q30. Digital public services save me time.
Q31. Digital public services reduce the need for me to visit physical service centres.
Q32. Digital public services have made my daily life more convenient.
Section 6. Barriers to Using Digital Public Services
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Q33. Digital public services require too many steps to complete.
Q34. Registration and login procedures are complicated for me.
Q35. Verification procedures, such as passwords and SMS codes, are difficult for me.
Q36. Facial recognition or other identity verification procedures are difficult for me.
Q37. I sometimes have difficulty understanding the instructions on digital public-service platforms.
Q38. When I encounter a problem on a digital platform, I do not know how to solve it.
Q39. Frequent changes or updates to digital platforms make them difficult for me to use.
Q40. I worry about making mistakes when using digital public services.
Q41. I am concerned about online fraud or the security of my personal information. 
Q42. Some public services have become more difficult for me to access because they have been digitalised.
Section 7. Family Assistance and Intergenerational Digital Dependency
Q43. When you have difficulty using digital public services, who usually helps you?
Q44. How often do you need help from another person to complete a digital public service?
Q45. Which digital services do you most commonly ask family members to help you with?
Please indicate your level of agreement:
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Q46. I often need help from my children or other younger family members when using digital public services.
Q47. Without help from my family, there are some public services that I would be unable to complete.
Q48. I would prefer to complete digital public services independently rather than depend on family members.
Q49. Help from my family makes digital public services easier for me to access.
Q50. When my family members are not available, I worry more about being unable to complete digital public services
Section 8. Offline Services and Alternative Access Channels
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Q51. For important public services, I prefer to communicate directly with a member of staff.
Q52. Government agencies should continue providing face-to-face services even when online services are available.
Q53. If I cannot complete an online service, I know where to obtain face-to-face assistance.
Q54. I have encountered situations where I was required to use a smartphone to access a service.
Q55. When both online and offline options are available, I prefer to choose the option that is most suitable for me.
Q56. Digital services should not completely replace traditional face-to-face services.
Section 9. Digital Inclusion and Social Exclusion
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Q57. Current digital public services adequately consider the needs of people from different age groups.
Q58. Digital public services are accessible to people with different levels of education.
Q59. People who are more proficient with smartphones have easier access to public services.
Q60. People who are less familiar with digital technology may be disadvantaged as public services become increasingly digital.
Q61. As more public services become digitalised, I sometimes feel excluded from accessing them.
Q62. I am confident that I will continue to be able to access the public services I need as they become increasingly digitalised.
Q63. Overall, digitalisation has improved my access to public services.
Section 10. Overall Experience
Q64. Overall, how easy or difficult do you find it to use digital public services?
Q65. Compared with five years ago, how would you describe your ability to access public services?
Q66. What is the main factor that affects your ability to use digital public services?
Thank You
Thank you very much for taking the time to participate in this study.
Your responses will contribute to research on smart cities, digital government, digital inequality, and social inclusion among middle-aged and older adults in China.
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