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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Aging and Public Health
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1436525
This article is part of the Research Topic International Perspectives on Older Adult Social Isolation and Loneliness View all 37 articles

Does Internet use Promote the Health of Empty-nest Older Adults in Rural China? the Mediating Role of Social Participation Using a Propensity Score Matching Approach

Provisionally accepted
Li Shen Li Shen 1Yawen Zheng Yawen Zheng 2Mengting Wang Mengting Wang 3Hong Pan Hong Pan 3Wenqian Jian Wenqian Jian 3Xudong Yang Xudong Yang 3,4Wei Wang Wei Wang 3*Li Chen Li Chen 5*
  • 1 Third People's Hospital of Huzhou, Huzhou, China
  • 2 Lishui Second People's Hospital Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui, Zhejiang, China
  • 3 Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
  • 4 Cixi Institute of Biomedicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Cixi, China
  • 5 Affiliated Kangning Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: The rapid growth of internet use among older adults in rural China offers a unique opportunity to examine its potential impact on their health. This study seeks to explore the relationship between internet use and the emotional, physical, and cognitive health of empty-nest older adults in rural China, while also considering the mediating role of social participation in this relationship.Methods:A total of 3,478 empty-nest older adults were selected from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS) in 2020. Among them, 820 individuals were included in the study using a propensity score matching (PSM) method to reduce the impact of selection bias. The participants' depression, physical health, and cognitive health were measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale, and a composite cognition score, respectively. Social participation was assessed based on engagement in various activities over the past month.Results: After controlling for confounding factors through PSM, it was found that older adults who used the internet exhibited significantly lower level of depression and higher physical health compared to older adults who did not use the internet. However, there was no significant difference in cognitive health between the two groups. The mediating effect analysis revealed that social participation partially mediated the relationship between internet use and physical health, but not emotional health.: The study suggests that internet use can improve emotional and physical health of older adults living in rural China without children at home, with social participation being a mediator in the relationship between internet use and physical health. Future research should explore the underlying mechanisms and develop targeted interventions to promote internet use and social engagement in this population.

    Keywords: older adults, Internet use, physical health, cognitive health, Depression, Social Participation, Propensity score matching

    Received: 22 May 2024; Accepted: 05 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Shen, Zheng, Wang, Pan, Jian, Yang, Wang and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Wei Wang, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
    Li Chen, Affiliated Kangning Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.