ArticleJournal of medical Internet research2023
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.
Article in Journal of medical Internet research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 35 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
35 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 53 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Associations Between Digital Exclusion and Physical or Cognitive Function in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.JMIR aging · 2026Pooled it
- Positive association between Internet use and mental health among adults aged ≥50 years in 23 countries.Nature human behaviour · 2025Pooled it
- Association of Online Parent-Child Interactions With Depressive Symptoms Among Middle-Aged and Older Empty Nesters in China.Journal of clinical psychology · 2026Article
- Smartphone use and cognitive performance in middle-aged and older adults: a cross-sectional study in China.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Associations Between Short-Video Platform Use and Health Across Health Distribution and Usage Behaviors in China: Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- Internet Use and Self-Rated Health Among Older Adults: Scoping Review.Interactive journal of medical research · 2026Review
- The influence of mobile navigation design on older adults cognitive load, affective responses, and digital self-efficacy: mixed-methods study.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Internet media use, physical activity participation, and health-related outcomes among Chinese adults: evidence from CGSS2023.Frontiers in public health · 2026Observational
- Internet use and health among older adults in China: Indirect associations through social participation and physical activity.PloS one · 2026Article
- Internet use and frailty in Chinese middle-aged and older adults: empirical evidence from CHARLS 2020.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Relationships Among Mobile Internet Use, Social Support, and Depressive Symptoms: Prospective Cohort Study Among Community Residents.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Internet Usage, Social Participation, and Depression Symptoms Among Middle-Aged and Older Adult Chinese Individuals Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence From the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Observational Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Observational
- Repetitive negative thinking is associated with cognitive function decline in older adults: a cross-sectional study.BMC psychiatry · 2025Article
- Internet Use and Self-Rated Health: The Mediating Role of Physical Exercise.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Technology for sustainable living: The impact of digital inclusion on the health of China's elderly living alone.SSM - population health · 2025Article
- Understanding the Association Between Home Broadband Connection and Well-Being Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in China: Nationally Representative Panel Data Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Prevalence and associated factors of healthy aging among community-dwelling older adults in Lishui city, China: a cross-sectional study.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Association Between Digital Front Doors and Social Care Use for Community-Dwelling Adults in England: Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Bidirectional Association Between Internet Use and Depressive Symptoms Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in China: A Cross-Lagged Model of Proactive Health Behavior as the Mediating Role.Depression and anxiety · 2025Article
- Older adults' Internet use behavior and its association with accelerometer-derived physical activity.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundInternet use is an important means of accessing health-related information. Identifying the associations between internet use and health outcomes could provide insight into strategies for improving public health among middle-aged and older adults (45 years and up).
objectiveThis study aimed to examine the relationship between internet use and health outcomes in middle-aged and older adults.
methodsData were obtained from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Physical, mental, and subjective health were assessed using the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Scale, the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and the 3-level Self-Rated Health Scale, respectively. The chi-square test and rank sum test were used to explore whether internet use was associated with health status. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to determine this association further after controlling for the confounding factors.
resultsOverall, 13% (1752/13,474) of the participants used the internet. Regression analyses revealed that the prevalence of depression (odds ratio [OR] 0.59, 95% CI 0.52-0.68; P<.001), negative self-rated health (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.61-0.76; P<.001), and difficulty with ADL (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.39-0.60; P<.001) in the participating middle-aged and older adult was lower in those using the internet than nonusers. After controlling for confounding factors, internet use was found to be negatively associated with difficulty with ADL (urban: OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.32-0.61; P<.001 vs rural: OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.41-0.75; P<.001), depression (urban: OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.57-0.84; P<.001 vs rural: OR 0.52, 95% CI: 0.43-0.63; P<.001), and self-rated health status (urban: OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.61-0.81; P<.001 vs rural: OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.57-0.78; P<.001) among middle-aged and older adults in both urban and rural areas.
conclusionsInternet use had a positive effect on the physical and mental health of middle-aged and older adults who participated in this study. However, the internet usage rate remains low among older Chinese people. Therefore, the internet penetration rate should be a priority.
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