ArticleNPJ digital medicine2025
Ten-year trends of the digital divides and its effect on healthy aging among older adults in China from 2011 to 2020.
Article in NPJ digital medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed.
- Building sustainable primary healthcare systems: Lessons from Brazil and China.Global health research and policy · 2026Article
- Upward intergenerational support and vaccination decisions among community-dwelling older adults in China: A multicenter qualitative study.Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics · 2026Article
- A post-discharge homecare journey map for patients with colorectal cancer living with a permanent stoma: A qualitative study.Asia-Pacific journal of oncology nursing · 2026Article
- Equity, accessibility, and public health implications of digital platforms delivering real-time air quality information: A technology review.PLOS digital health · 2026Article
- Broadband Access, Internet Use, and General Cognition in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Longitudinal Study.JMIR aging · 2026Article
- Social connectedness and digital literacy in later life: the mediating roles of perceived barriers and social integration.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Research on the intervention mechanism and dynamic evolution of the digital divide's impact on the physical and mental health of older adults: a system dynamics perspective.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Short-form video usage and cognitive function among rural older adults in northern China: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Latent profiles analysis and associated factors of digital health literacy among young and middle-aged adults with diabetes.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Digital literacy and subjective well-being among Chinese older adults: the mediating role of social support.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Internet use and health among older adults in China: Indirect associations through social participation and physical activity.PloS one · 2026Article
- Digital health technology empowering China's community full life cycle health management.Digital healthReview
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
We examined decade-long trends in digital divides and their causal impact on healthy aging among older adults in China. Using five waves of nationally representative data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2011-2020; n = 46,674, aged ≥60), we applied instrumental variable method with two-way fixed effects to address endogeneity. From 2011 to 2020, digital access divide declined from 88.0% to 47.3%, and digital usage divide from 99.0% to 75.7% (P for trend < 0.001). However, both divides were significantly associated with poorer healthy aging outcomes across physical, cognitive, emotional, and social domains. The digital access divide was linked to increased functional limitations, multimorbidity, cognitive impairment, depressive symptoms, social isolation, and lower overall healthy aging index. The digital usage divide showed the same pattern. Subgroup analyses revealed heterogeneity by urban-rural residence, sex, economic level, marital status, education level, and region.
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Registered trials
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