Internet Use, Cultural Engagement, and Multi-Dimensional Health of Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study in China

Internet use and self-rated health among Chinese older adults: the role of social engagement and social support

This study examines how social engagement and social support affect association between internet use and older adults' self-rated health in Kunming. An analysis of 518 community-dwelling older adults reveals that internet use significantly enhances their self-rated health. Social engagement mediates this relationship, while social support strengthens the beneficial impact of social engagement on self-rated health. Additionally, social support amplifies the mediating role of social engagement, suggesting that greater social support enhances the benefits of social engagement on health outcomes. Our findings emphasize the significance of fostering social engagement and providing robust social support to improve older adults' health.

The effect of internet use on depressive symptoms in older adults: based on the chain mediating role of physical exercise and self-rated health

Background

Depressive symptoms in older adults have been a major public health problem. Although many studies have suggested a potential relationship between Internet use and depressive symptoms, the underlying mechanisms of this relationship among older adults remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the multiple mediating effects of physical exercise and self-rated health on the relationship between Internet use and depressive symptoms in older adults.

Methods

Utilizing the 2020 data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), we assessed the depressive status among the older population through the application of the Ambulatory Self-Rating Depression Scale. To validate the associations, we conducted a Pearson correlation analysis. Furthermore, we constructed a mediating effect model, which aimed to delve into the intricate pathways mediating the influence of Internet usage on depressive symptoms in the older adults. Additionally, we employed a latent class analysis to uncover the intricate heterogeneity of depression among older individuals who do not utilize the Internet, offering insights into the diverse manifestations of this condition.

Results

After controlling for age, sex, marital status, chronic disease, and education level, regression results showed that the use of the Internet had a significant direct effect on depressive symptoms in the older adults (β = -0.684, t = -4.318, p < 0.001). Physical exercise and self-rated health significantly affected depressive symptoms in the older adults (β = -0.176, t = -7.939, p < 0.001; β = -0.937, t = -18.681, p < 0.001). Mediating results showed that the mediating effect of physical exercise between Internet use and depressive symptoms in the older adults was -0.220 (95%CI: -0.2877--0.1598), and the mediating effect of self-rated health between Internet use and depressive symptoms in the older adults was -0.084 (95%CI: -0.1716--0.0008), and the chain mediation effect was -0.022 (95%CI: -0.0371--0.0076). The potential profile analysis of depressive symptoms in the older adults without using the Internet showed that they could be divided into three groups, namely, high loneliness-high depression group (7.4%), medium loneliness-moderate depression group (14.7%), and low loneliness-low depression group (77.9%).

Conclusion

Internet use can directly affect the depressive symptoms of the older adults, and can also indirectly affect the depressive symptoms of the older adults through physical exercise and self-rated health. The depressive symptoms of the older adults who do not use the Internet are heterogeneous and can be divided into three categories. With the popularization of the Internet, the use of the Internet should be promoted for the older adults, and the frequency of physical exercise should be enhanced to achieve physical and mental health.

Impact of living arrangements and internet use on the mental health of Chinese older adults

Introduction

The consequences of aged living arrangements on mental health in the digital age have drawn significant research attention.

Methods

This study used empirical data to analyze the impact of living arrangements on the mental health of older adults by ordinary least squares (OLS) and to examine the moderating effect of Internet use in it through the moderating effect test. A total of 17,243 older adults were included in the analytical model.

Results

We found that living independently has a negative impact on the mental health of older adults and Internet use can improve the mental health of older adults. There are moderating mechanisms of Internet use in the impact of living arrangements on the mental health of older adults, but it is necessary to look at the moderating mechanisms of different patterns of Internet use. Using the Internet for social interaction (chatting and information acquisition) can weaken the impact of living arrangements on the mental health of older adults, while unidirectional Internet use (entertainment and financial management) strengthens the impact of living arrangements on the mental health of older adults.

Disscusion

Therefore, this study puts forward the following suggestions: first, to develop family care for older adults and pay attention to the positive role of intergenerational support in the mental comfort of older adults; second, it is imperative for the government and social service departments to assist older adults in establishing correct concepts of Internet use, enhancing their digital literacy, and improving their digital skills.

Digital Inclusion, Cultural Capital, and Health Status of Urban and Rural Residents: An Empirical Study Based on 2017 CGSS Database

China is committed to using digital technology to drive urban-rural integration in health care. This study aims to explore the effect of digital inclusion on health status with the mediating role of cultural capital and the digital health disparities between urban and rural residents in China. Using data from the 2017 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), the present study adopted an ordinary least squares (OLS) robust standard error regression model to investigate the impact of digital inclusion on health status. In addition, causal step regression (CSR) and bootstrapping methods were combined to test the mediating effect of cultural capital. The results showed that, first, digital inclusion was related to positive and significant effects on resident health status. Second, cultural capital played a mediating role in the relationship between digital inclusion and health status. Third, urban residents gained more health benefits from digital inclusion than rural residents. Additionally, common method variance (CMV) tests, endogenous tests, and a propensity score matching (PSM) analysis showed that the above conclusions remained robust. The government should therefore focus not only on promoting the population's health by utilizing digital inclusion but also on accelerating digital health equity between urban and rural areas by developing such strategies as a digital infrastructure expansion schedule and digital literacy education and training programs.

The Role of Internet Use and Offline Social Engagement in the Health of Chinese Older Adults: Evidence from Nationally Representative Samples

This study investigated the association between internet use as a novel type of social engagement and the health of older adults, and evaluated the role of online versus offline social activities through nationally representative samples. Participants aged ≥ 60 in the datasets from the Chinese sample of the World Value Survey (N_{Sample 1} = 598) and the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS, N_{Sample 2} = 9434) were selected. Correlation analysis presented the positive relationships between internet use and self-reported health in both Sample 1 (r = 0.17, p < 0.001) and Sample 2 (r = 0.09, p < 0.001). In addition, the relationships between internet use and both self-reported health and depression (r = -0.14, p < 0.001) were stronger than the correlation between offline social activities and health outcomes in Sample 2. After accounting for the frequency of traditional social activities, regression analysis revealed the relationship between internet use and higher self-reported health (β_{Sample 1} = 0.16, p < 0.001; β_{Sample 2} = 0.04, p < 0.001) and lower depressive symptom scores (β = -0.05, p < 0.001) This research contributes to the existing body of literature on the favorable relationship between social engagement and health outcomes among Chinese older adults. Additionally, it identifies the social benefits of internet use for health promotion among older adults.

The Relationship between Internet Use and Self-Rated Health among Older Adults in China: The Mediating Role of Social Support

The development of Internet technology has significantly impacted how people live their daily lives. How this disparity in Internet use affects the self-rated health of older adults needs to be further explored. This paper studies the impact of Internet use on self-rated health, aiming to examine the effect of Internet use and social support on the self-rated health of older adults in China. This study used data from the 2017 China General Social Survey (CGSS) to verify the effect of Internet use on older adults' self-rated health. The results showed that Chinese elderly who used the Internet had a higher self-rated health, and social support from relatives and friends significantly improved the elderly's self-rated health. This social support played a critical, partially mediating role between Internet use and self-rated health. In China, the effect of Internet use on older adults' self-rated health was heterogeneous. Among them, the impact of Internet use was more significant for the male elderly, younger elderly, and rural elderly. The results suggest that the government should formulate targeted policies to improve the utilization of the Internet and maintain a good Internet environment to enhance the well-being of older adults according to the trend of population aging and the popularity of the Internet.