ArticleDigital health
Inclusive power of digitalization: Smart city construction and the health of middle-aged and older disabilities.
Article in Digital health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Gender inequality in the impact of climate shock on physical health and its spillover effect.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- The impact of smart healthcare and eldercare on older adults' health and health inequality: Evidence from China.Digital healthArticle
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.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objectives: As the digital wave reshapes the future of cities, smart city construction (SCC) is emerging as a key driver for improving public health and bridging social gaps through its inclusive potential. This research aims to investigate the impact of SCC on the health of middle-aged and older disabilities individuals, focusing on its dynamic trends, underlying mechanisms, unequal selection effects, and overall welfare. Methods: Based on data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, this paper estimates the impact of SCC on the health of middle-aged and older disabilities using the double machine learning method with the random forest algorithm, and examines the dynamic trend of the health effects using event study method. Results: The results indicate that SCC significantly enhances the health of middle-aged and older disabilities, without resulting in a concomitant increase in healthcare expenditure. In the long term, the positive health effect increases year by year. Mechanism analysis reveals that SCC promotes health improvements through two key channels: enhanced accessibility of living infrastructure, including access to running water and internet, and increased household annual income. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that there are unequal selection effects in impact, the health-enhancing effects of SCC on middle-aged and older disabilities are more pronounced among non-retired individuals and those with a more extensive household composition. Finally, welfare analysis shows that SCC reduced their healthcare expenditures and improved labor market performance, with a conservatively estimated welfare benefit of US$3448.65. Conclusion: By unraveling the underlying mechanisms and inequality selection effects, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of the potential for digital inclusion to inform scientific understanding and guide policy aimed at promoting health equity and improving the well-being of disadvantaged populations.
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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.