Internet Use and Self-Rated Health Among Older Adults: Scoping Review.

backgroundSelf-rated health (SRH) is a robust predictor of morbidity, functional decline, and mortality in later life. As internet use becomes increasingly embedded in older adults' daily routines, clarifying its association with SRH and the pathways through which it may operate is important for research, practice, and policy.

objectiveThis scoping review aimed to map and characterize the international evidence on the association between internet use and SRH among older adults, synthesize how potential mediators and moderators have been examined, and identify key methodological, theoretical, and population gaps in the literature.

methodsGuided by the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) reporting standards, we conducted a scoping review and searched 5 databases: PubMed, CINAHL, AgeLine, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. The final search was performed on February 5, 2024. Reference lists were screened, and Google Scholar searches were conducted as supplementary search methods.

resultsDatabase searches identified 4294 records; after removing 615 duplicates, 3679 records were screened, and 77 full texts were assessed, resulting in 27 included studies. All included studies were quantitative, and the evidence base was predominantly cross-sectional (25/27). Explicit theoretical frameworks were used in 6 out of 27 studies. Most studies were published between 2019 and 2024 (22/27) and were conducted most frequently in China (11/27) and the United States (7/27). All studies were conducted in high-income countries. SRH was typically assessed using a single-item measure, while internet use was operationalized as access/use (yes/no), frequency, and/or purpose/domain-specific measures. Most studies reported a statistically significant positive association between internet use and better SRH (24/27), with socially oriented uses (eg, communication and social participation) showing the most consistent associations. Mediating pathways were examined in 6 out of 27 studies, and most often suggested social mechanisms such as greater social support, higher social engagement, and lower loneliness. Subgroup heterogeneity was reported in 10 out of 27 studies, including differences by age, gender, residence, and marital status.

conclusionsOverall, internet use, particularly socially oriented use, was most consistently associated with better SRH among older adults. Policy efforts should support digital inclusion by improving access, skills, and ongoing assistance that enable meaningful use for social connection and service access. At the same time, nondigital options are essential to avoid excluding older adults who do not use the internet. In addition, evidence gaps, including limited use of theoretical frameworks and scarce data from low- and middle-income countries, underscore the need for theory-informed longitudinal and intervention studies to strengthen causal inference, expand knowledge on mediating and moderating factors, and assess generalizability across diverse contexts.