ArticleBMC public health2024
Internet use and difficulties in acquiring health resources among older adults with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic: a population-based cross-sectional study.
Article in BMC public health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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
3 citing papers in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.
- Article
- Digital exclusion in healthcare services: a scoping review.International journal for equity in health · 2026Review
- The promotion mechanism of physical and mental health of the elderly in China: the impact of the digital divide and social capital.BMC 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
3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe various restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic may have worsened the digital divide and health inequality. However, research to ascertain the association between Internet use and difficulties in acquiring health resources among older adults with disabilities is scarce. This study aimed to explore the relationship between Internet use and difficulties in acquiring health resources among older adults with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic and explore the associated factors by disability severity.
methodsData from the 2020 survey of people with disabilities in South Korea were used. This secondary analysis study included 4,871 older adults aged 55 and above among 7,025 total responders. Complex sample logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the association between Internet use and difficulties in acquiring health resources during the pandemic.
resultsOnly 23.66% of older adults with disabilities used the Internet. Internet non-users were more likely to experience difficulties in obtaining health resources than Internet users. The relationship between Internet non-use and difficulties in acquiring COVID-19-related information (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.28-1.92) and buying and using personal protective equipment (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.11-1.65) were statistically significant in the overall sample. Whereas, difficulties with using medical services were not statistically significantly associated with Internet use. Additionally, factors associated with difficulties in acquiring health resources differed by disability severity.
conclusionsConsidering that older adults with disabilities experience triple the burden amid COVID-19 due to old age, disabilities, and the digital divide, policymakers, healthcare professionals, and engineers should aim to narrow the gaps between Internet users and Internet non-users among this population. Narrowing the gaps will make decreasing health gaps and increasing well-being among older adults with disabilities more attainable.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.