Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41584166›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in public health2025

Higher digital embracement is associated with lower levels of loneliness among late middle-aged and older adults.

Anna K Dahl Aslan, Kerstin Thelander, Pernilla Bjerkeli, Martin Gellerstedt

Abstract read
In one paragraph

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 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Anna K Dahl Aslan *School of Health Sciences, University of Skövde, Skövde, Sweden.
Kerstin Thelander *School of Health Sciences, University of Skövde, Skövde, Sweden.
Pernilla BjerkeliSchool of Health Sciences, University of Skövde, Skövde, Sweden.
Martin GellerstedtSchool of Health Sciences, University of Skövde, Skövde, Sweden.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Loneliness, a global health problem, increases with advancing age. The digitalization of society has the potential to either increase or decrease loneliness. This study aims to investigate the cross-sectional association between digital living and loneliness in the context of other risk factors in a sample of late middle-aged and older adults, using a measure of embracement of digitalization in daily life. Methods: In total, 441 Swedish adults (response rate 44%) aged 55 to 93 years of age who responded from December 2023 to January 2024. Embracement of digitalization was measured using the Digital Living Index, and loneliness with the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Results: The mean score for perceived loneliness was 35.64 (SD = 10.55), positioning the participants at the threshold between low and moderate levels of loneliness. In the final multivariate linear regression model, including established risk factors for loneliness, low digital living was estimated to be 3.3 and 4.1 units higher in loneliness compared to mid and high digital living ( Conclusion: Higher digital living appears to be associated with lower levels of loneliness even when other established risk factors for loneliness are controlled for. Supporting late middle-aged and older adults to overcome the digital divide, from access and use to embracement, could potentially be a tool to battle loneliness, and hence to improve public health.

Indexed as

LonelinessAgedAged, 80 and overCross-Sectional StudiesDigital MediaFemaleHumansMaleMental HealthMiddle AgedRisk FactorsSurveys and QuestionnairesSwedendigital dividedigital healthlonelinessold ageolder adultspublic health

Identifiers

PMID41584166
PMCPMC12827661

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.