ArticleFrontiers in public health2022
Social Isolation, Cognitive Function, and Depression Among Chinese Older Adults: Examining Internet Use as a Predictor and a Moderator.
Article in Frontiers in public health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers.
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Who cites it
23 citing papers in PubMed.
- The role of three important psychosocial factors on adherence to lung cancer screening recommendations in high-risk populations.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Longitudinal trajectories of internet use, attitudes toward aging, and depression: a latent growth mediation model.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Digital Isolation and Depression Risk in Older Adults Using the National Health and Aging Trends Study Database: 8-Year Longitudinal Study.JMIR aging · 2025Article
- A latent profile and network analysis of social isolation in colorectal cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.Asia-Pacific journal of oncology nursing · 2025Article
- The Role of Social Media in Mitigating the Long-Term Impact of Social Isolation on Mental and Cognitive Health in Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The HUNT Study.International journal of geriatric psychiatry · 2025Observational
- The impact of internet use on the subjective well-being of older adults: The mediating role of mental health.PloS one · 2025Article
- The multiple mediating roles of depression and grandchild care in the relationship between social participation and cognitive function among middle-aged and elderly Chinese: an empirical study based on CHARLS 2020 data.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2025Article
- Association between internet exclusion and depressive symptoms among older adults: panel data analysis of five longitudinal cohort studies.EClinicalMedicine · 2024Article
- Internet Use as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Personal Resources and Stress in Older Adults: Cross-Sectional Study.JMIR aging · 2024Article
- Association between Internet use and depressive symptoms among older adults in two regions of Myanmar: a cross-sectional study.BMC geriatrics · 2024Article
- Contributions of loneliness to cognitive impairment and dementia in older adults are independent of other risk factors and Alzheimer's pathology: a narrative review.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2024Review
- The effect of internet use on depressive symptoms in older adults: based on the chain mediating role of physical exercise and self-rated health.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Takeaway food consumption and depressive symptoms in Chinese university students: mediating effects of physical activity.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2024Article
- Does internet use promote the health of empty-nest older adults in rural China? The mediating role of social participation using a propensity score matching approach.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Gender differences in geriatric depressive symptoms in urban China: the role of ADL and sensory and communication abilities.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2024Article
- Social isolation, loneliness, and subjective wellbeing among Chinese older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Differences in Loneliness and Social Isolation among Community-Dwelling Older Adults by Household Type: A Nationwide Survey in Japan.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- The development of smart eldercare in China.The Lancet regional health. Western Pacific · 2023Review
- 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
- The effect of internet use on depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older adults with functional disability: the mediating role of social isolation.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
Objectives: Despite the theoretical and practical interest in Internet use among older adults, evidence examining the impacts of Internet use on late-in-life health is limited. This study examines how Internet use affects depression and cognitive function in older adults and investigates if Internet use moderates the relationship between social isolation and depression/cognitive function. Method: We performed regression analyses using data came from the second wave of the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey of 2016. Our final sample featured 8,835 older adults. Results: The results show 11.4% of Chinese older adults often used the Internet to engage in at least one activity. Internet use was negatively associated with depression, but it was positively related to cognitive function. Socially isolated older adults were more likely to have more depressive symptoms and higher level of cognitive function. There was also an interaction effect between Internet use and social isolation on depression/cognitive function. The negative effect of social isolation was stronger for older adults who used the Internet less. The moderating effect of Internet use was significant for both males and females. However, among those who used the Internet more, the depression levels of socially isolated male participants were much lower than female participants. Conclusions: Our results reveal the importance of considering Internet use in buffering the negative effects of social isolation and the associated health burdens for aging populations. Recommendations for service practice and future research are discussed.
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