ArticleGlobalization and health2024
Internet use and frailty in middle-aged and older adults: findings from developed and developing countries.
Article in Globalization and health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
34 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- 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
- The level of electronic health literacy among older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2024Pooled it
- Factors Associated with e-Health Literacy Among Older Adults in Klang Valley, Malaysia: A Cross-Sectional Survey.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Higher cystatin C, but not creatinine, predicts frailty risk in individuals with normal kidney function.The Journal of frailty & aging · 2026Article
- Digital exclusion, functional limitations transitions, and life expectancy: a multinational longitudinal study.SSM - population health · 2026Article
- Inflammation, Metabolic Status and Mental Health as Potential Mediators of the Association Between Socioeconomic Deprivation and Frailty.Prevention science : the official journal of the Society for Prevention Research · 2026Article
- Article
- Frailty, trajectories of frailty, and cognitive impairment: evidence from five longitudinal cohort studies.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Factors influencing willingness to use medical visit companion services among older Chinese adults: a Logistic-ISM model approach.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- Complete Digital Disconnection as a Prognostic Marker of Mortality or Residential-Care Transition in Older Adults With Cardiovascular Risk: A Nationally Representative Cohort Study.Research square · 2026Article
- Life satisfaction mediates advanced maternal age at childbirth and frailty across cohorts.iScience · 2026Article
- Interacting and joint effects of frailty and depressive symptoms in relation to risk of cardio-oncology comorbidity in older adults from three prospective cohorts.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- Joint association of frailty and social isolation with depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older Chinese adults: a nationwide cohort study.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Review
- Declining kidney function and frailty progression: a 7-year cohort study of Chinese middle-aged and older adults.The Journal of frailty & aging · 2026Article
- Intergenerational family support and older adult frailty: findings from four prospective cohort studies.SSM - population health · 2026Article
- Effects of a Community-Based Multi-Component Intervention on Subjective Well-Being in Older Adults: The Chofu-Digital-Choju Project in Japan.Geriatrics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- A culturally tailored virtual intervention for Alzheimer's family caregivers: Addressing practical challenges and future directions.Archives of gerontology and geriatrics plus · 2026Article
- Perceived Environmental Age Friendliness and Frailty Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults.JAMA network open · 2026Article
- How does internet use affect the mental health of older adults: examining the mediating pathways of perception of social fairness and physical activity.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
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Funding
Abstract
backgroundWith increasing trend of internet use in all age groups, whether internet use can prevent frailty in middle-aged and older adults remains unclear.
methodsFive cohorts, including Health and Retirement Study (HRS), China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA), and Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS), were used in this study. Internet use, social isolation, and frailty status was assessed using similar questions. The Generalized estimating equations models, random effects meta-analysis, COX regression, and mediation analysis were utilized.
resultsIn the multicohort study, a total of 155,695 participants were included in main analysis. The proportion of internet use was varied across countries, ranging from 5.56% in China (CHARLS) to 83.46% in Denmark (SHARE). According to the generalized estimating equations models and meta-analysis, internet use was inversely associated with frailty, with the pooled ORs (95%CIs) of 0.72 (0.67,0.79). The COX regression also showed that participants with internet use had a lower risk of frailty incidence. Additionally, the association was partially mediated by social isolation and slightly pronounced in participants aged 65 and over, male, not working for payment, not married or partnered, not smoking, drinking, and not co-residence with children.
conclusionsOur findings highlight the important role of internet use in preventing frailty and recommend more engagements in social communication and activities to avoid social isolation among middle-aged and older adults.
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