Reading practices and profiles of older adults in Taiwan

Using data from a national survey of adults in Taiwan, this study presents findings regarding older adults' reading practices with respect to newspapers, magazines, books, and Internet information. The study also identifies four reading profiles defined by the frequency and diversification of the material read: the nonreaders, the less diversified readers, the readers diversified in print format, and the readers diversified in both print and Internet format. While some findings are consistent with the existing Western literature, others address new questions and invite further investigation. Educational implications for developing reading promotional programs best suited to the unique needs of individual reading profiles are also discussed.