ArticleFrontiers in public health2025
Bridging the silver-digital divide: how digital literacy shapes diverse healthcare utilisation among China's older adults-a cross-sectional study in seven Chinese cities.
Article in Frontiers in public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Proactive Screening Beliefs in Chinese High-Risk Patients of Panvascular Disease from the Perspective of Health Belief Model: A Qualitative Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Illusory competence vs. real needs a cross-sectional study on the mismatch in Smart Senior Care (SSC) perceptions between nursing students and older adults.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- External prescription circulation and chronic medication refills via internet hospital: a real-world study of patient characteristics in eastern China.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Credit risks in long-term care: a novel assessment of private long-term care institutions for sustainable development under the silver economy in China.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- The impact of physical exercise on medical expenditure among middle-aged and older adults: digital literacy as a moderating variable.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
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Abstract
Background: As of December 2023, China's population aged 60 and above reached 296.97 million, accounting for 21.1% of the total population. The convergence of an aging society and a digital society presents significant challenges for older adults, particularly in terms of digital inclusion and access to healthcare. This study investigates the impact of digital literacy on the consumption of healthcare services among older adults in China and explores the underlying mechanisms involving social support and technology acceptance. Methods: Data from 1,107 valid questionnaires from adults aged 60 and above were analyzed. Digital literacy was assessed using a unidimensional 10-item scale developed for this study. Healthcare service consumption was measured using a validated 8-item scale covering two dimensions: therapeutic and preventive services. Data analysis employed OLS regression, mediation, and moderation models. This study adopted a cross-sectional design with two independent waves of surveys (2019 and 2022) to avoid repeated sampling of the same individuals. Results: Digital literacy demonstrated a significant positive effect on the consumption of healthcare services among older adults ( Conclusion: Enhancing digital literacy is a crucial strategy for promoting healthcare service utilisation among older adults in an increasingly digitalized society. Policymakers should prioritize improving digital literacy and integrating digital technology into social support systems. Fostering technology acceptance can further amplify these positive effects. This study provides empirical evidence for understanding the role of digital literacy in healthcare consumption and offers valuable insights for policy development. Limitations include the small sample size relative to China's total older population (
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