ArticleJournal of medical Internet research2022
The Contribution of the Internet to Reducing Social Isolation in Individuals Aged 50 Years and Older: Quantitative Study of Data From the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe.
Article in Journal of medical Internet research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed.
- Lung function trajectory: a partial mediator of the relationships between depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life in the aging population.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Digital Engagement and Cognitive Function Among Older Adults in China: Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study and Moderated Mediation Model Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- The experience of social isolation among community-dwelling older adults: a qualitative study.BMC geriatrics · 2025Article
- Association between internet use and social isolation among nursing home residents: a chain mediation model.BMC geriatrics · 2025Article
- Does your generation influence your perception of the application of Artificial Intelligence in medicine?European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2025Article
- The role of ICT use in reducing social isolation among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from frail and healthy older adults in Sakai City, Japan.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Digital technology as a tool to provide social support to individuals with cancer in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review.PLOS digital health · 2025Article
- Internet Use and Higher-Level Functional Capacity Decline Suppression in Japanese Older Adults With Low Education: JAGES 2016-2019 Longitudinal Study.JMIR aging · 2024Article
- Internet use and frailty in middle-aged and older adults: findings from developed and developing countries.Globalization and health · 2024Article
- Association Between Internet Use and Physical Health, Mental Health, and Subjective Health in Middle-aged and Older Adults: Nationally Representative Cross-sectional Survey in China.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Article
- Exploring experiences of loneliness among Canadian long-term care residents during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study.International journal of older people nursing · 2023Article
- The impact of interaction with children on internet addiction in older adults: A moderated mediation model.Frontiers in psychology · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSocial isolation has a negative impact on the quality of life of older people; therefore, studies have focused on identifying its sociodemographic, economic, and health determinants. In view of the growing importance of the internet as a means of communication, it is essential to assess whether internet use interferes with social isolation.
objectiveThis study specifically aims to clarify the relationship between internet use and social isolation of individuals aged ≥50 years, for which other surveys present contradictory results.
methodsWe performed logistic regression analysis with social isolation as the dependent variable, internet use as the interest variable, and several other sociodemographic, economic, and health characteristics of the individuals as control variables. The sample size was 67,173 individuals aged 50 years and older from 17 European countries (Portugal, Greece, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Luxemburg, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Estonia, and Croatia) plus Israel, who were interviewed in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), wave 6.
resultsThe results show that countries differ in the level of social isolation and rate of internet use by individuals aged 50 years and older. They also evidence that in most of the countries analyzed, social isolation of internet users was lower compared to that of nonusers after controlling for a set of sociodemographic, economic, and health characteristics of the individuals that have been previously described in the literature as determinants of social isolation. Indeed, on average, although 31.4% of individuals in the nonuser group experienced high social isolation, only 12.9% of individuals who used the internet experienced this condition.
conclusionsInternet users show lower social isolation. This result underlines the importance of promoting e-inclusion in Europe as a way to counter social isolation of individuals aged 50 years and older.
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