Zhibin Li

Background/objectives: In the digital era, research on the digital divide has largely focused on inequalities in access and skills, with less attention paid to differences in the benefits older adults derive from information and communication technology (ICT), the third-level digital divide. Nevertheless, how these heterogeneous patterns relate to health outcomes remains unclear. Methods: Based on the 2023 wave of the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS), this study employed person-centered latent class analysis (LCA) to identify potential classes of perceived convenience of ICT (PCICT) and further examined factors associated with these classes and these classes’ associations with older adults’ health, and explored the mediating role of attitudes toward aging (ATA). Results: Five latent classes of PCICT were identified: All-domains Beneficiaries (21.73%), Foundational-domains Beneficiaries (19.02%), Extended-domains Frustrated (12.76%), Compound Experience (31.71%), and Unaffected (14.77%). The distribution of these classes varied according to individual, family, and community characteristics. The All-domains Beneficiaries and Foundational-domains Beneficiaries classes were generally associated with more favorable health outcomes, whereas the Extended-domains Frustrated class was associated with more depressive symptoms. Furthermore, significant indirect associations through ATA were observed between PCICT classes and health outcomes. Conclusion: This study reveals the heterogeneity of the third-level digital divide among older adults by identifying different classes of PCICT. These classes were differentially associated with multidimensional health outcomes. ATA partly accounted for these associations. Our evidence underscores the importance of paying attention to different benefits of ICT and fostering positive ATA among older adults.

Objectives: Social participation is a key pathway to promoting active and healthy aging. While existing studies have examined the relationship between social participation and cognitive health, relatively little is known about how different patterns of participation are associated with cognitive outcomes. Methods: Drawing on the perspective of personal–family balance, this study utilizes data from the 2018 and 2020 waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Based on older adults’ engagement in personal life domains (personal recreation, learning & socializing, economic activities, and volunteer work) and family life domains (caring for parents and grandchildren), we conducted latent class analysis to categorize social participation patterns into four types: personal-centered, family-centered, balanced, and low-participation. We then examine the associations of these patterns with cognitive decline among older adults. Results: (1) Compared with the low-participation type, the personal-centered, family-centered, and balanced types are all significantly associated with a reduced risk of cognitive decline; (2) None of the three participation patterns shows a significant association with cognitive decline among older people in urban areas, whereas the personal-centered and balanced patterns are significantly associated with lower risk of cognitive decline among older people in rural areas; (3) The personal-centered pattern significantly reduces the risk of cognitive decline among the middle and oldest groups, with a stronger protective association observed in the latter. In contrast, the balanced pattern of social participation significantly reduces the risk of cognitive decline among the youngest group, but shows a positive association with cognitive decline among the oldest group. Discussion: These findings highlight that optimizing the structure of social participation, promoting engagement among rural older adults, and adopting age-responsive approaches across different stages of later life are essential strategies for improving cognitive health.

Background: Housing conditions are a critical determinant of well-being among older adults. Yet, their influence on life satisfaction particularly the underlying mechanisms in developing countries, especially in Tanzania, remains underexplored. Objective: This study examines the impacts of housing conditions and satisfaction with housing conditions on life satisfaction among older adults in Tanzania. Specifically, it explores the associations between housing conditions, satisfaction with housing conditions, and life satisfaction, as well as the mediating role of satisfaction with housing conditions in the relationship between housing conditions and life satisfaction. Method: Data were derived from a cross-sectional survey conducted between January and March 2024. A multi-stage, stratified, probability-proportionate-to-size (PPS) sampling design was employed to recruit 2,012 older adults (aged 60 +) from households across four geographical zones/regions of Tanzania. Logistic regression was used to construct the baseline model, and the Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) decomposition method was applied to examine the associations among housing conditions, satisfaction with housing conditions, and life satisfaction. Results: Housing conditions were significantly and positively associated with life satisfaction (OR = 1.433, 95% CI: 1.186–1.731, p < 0.001). Satisfaction with housing conditions was also significantly and positively associated with life satisfaction (OR = 1.666, 95% CI: 1.591–1.744, p < 0.001). Furthermore, satisfaction with housing conditions mediated the association between housing conditions and life satisfaction, accounting for 37.4% of the relationship. The effect of housing conditions on life satisfaction varied significantly by geographical zone/region, whereas no significant differences were observed by gender or urban–rural residence. Conclusion: These findings suggest a need for more effective strategies and practical policies to improve housing conditions, thereby enhancing life satisfaction among older people in Tanzania. Additionally, regional planning and housing policy should prioritize addressing disparities in vulnerability and adversity faced by older adults in relation to housing.

Background/Objectives: Mental health issues pose a growing public health burden in aging societies, a challenge particularly accentuated in rural China. This study investigated whether the establishment of rural community organizations—specifically volunteer groups, agricultural cooperatives, cultural and sports clubs, senior dance troupes, and senior associations—influences depressive symptoms and life satisfaction among rural older adults. Methods: Data were obtained from the Well-being of Elderly Survey in Anhui Province (WESAP) across three waves (2015, 2018, and 2021). The final sample comprised a balanced panel of 511 older adults, providing 1533 observations. A two-way fixed-effects model was employed to analyze the data. Results: Empirical results show that the establishment of agricultural cooperatives was associated with lower depressive symptoms. Cultural and sports clubs were associated with reduced depressive symptoms and positively correlated with life satisfaction. Mechanism analysis revealed associations consistent with a dual “economic–social” pathway: establishing agricultural cooperatives was associated with greater economic resilience and stronger social bonds. The establishment of cultural and sports clubs correlated with higher mental well-being, accompanied by increased time spent in social interaction. Notably, volunteer groups and senior associations showed no significant association with mental health outcomes. Conclusions: Rural community organizations are critical drivers of mental health equity. Policymakers should prioritize support for organizations that are deeply embedded in rural daily life and integrate economic functions with social interaction to maximize mental health benefits for older adults.

Objective: Digital literacy may be related to health behaviors, yet their associations remain less explored. This study examines the relationship between digital literacy and multidimensional health behaviors, including heterogeneous effects by gender, age group, and region. Furthermore, this study examines two mechanisms, drawing on self-determination theory and social capital theory. Methods: We used data from the China Rural Revitalization Survey (CRRS). The relationships between digital literacy and health behaviors was examined via binary logistic regression models. Bias-corrected percentile bootstrap KHB mediation models investigated the mediating roles of life satisfaction and social capital. Results: Digital literacy is positively and directly associated with all measured multidimensional health behaviors. The mediation analysis identified some significant indirect associations. Specifically, digital literacy is related to both physical exercise and physical examination through life satisfaction and relational social capital. Moreover, digital literacy is linked to dietary supplement intake through relational social capital and to physical examination and healthy diets through cognitive social capital. Heterogeneity analysis further revealed that digital literacy is more strongly associated with middle-aged adults’ physical examination, healthy diets, and dietary supplement intake, as well as males’ physical examination. Besides, stronger associations were found for residents in rural China's eastern and central regions, particularly for physical examination, healthy diets, and dietary supplement intake. Conclusions: These findings offer theoretical insights into the relationships between digital literacy and multidimensional health behaviors and provide practical guidance for encouraging and fostering health behaviors.

Objectives: The present study aimed to examine the bidirectional relationship between internet use and depressive symptoms among middle‐aged and older adults. Moreover, it explored whether proactive health behavior mediates the association between internet use and depressive symptoms. Methods: We used the latest three‐wave data (2015, 2018, and 2020) from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), which included 11,332 participants aged 45 years and older. The bidirectional relationship between internet use and depressive symptoms was examined using a cross‐lagged model. The mediating role of proactive health behavior was also investigated using a cross‐lagged mediation model. Results: Cross‐lagged models indicated reciprocal effects between depressive symptoms and internet use. Internet use had a greater impact on subsequent depressive symptoms than vice versa. Mediation analyses further revealed that proactive health behavior significantly mediated the path from internet use to depressive symptoms. Furthermore, subgroup analyses showed these effects were not significantly heterogeneous in subgroups by age and chronic disease status. Conclusions: This study sheds light on the direction of the association between internet use and depressive symptoms. Internet use could reduce depressive symptoms among middle‐aged and older adults by enhancing proactive health behavior.

The marriage-squeeze unmarried rural men perceive during their daily life is one of the main stressors severely affecting their subjective well-being under the universal marriage culture. The mechanism of this relationship is still unknown. Based on the Stress Process Model, using data from the “Survey on Rural Family Martial Status,” this study examines the relationship between perceived marriage squeeze (PMS) and subjective well-being (SWB) and the mediating effect of sense of coherence (SOC). A sample of 417 Chinese unmarried rural men with an average age of 28.88 years was enrolled in this cross-sectional. Ordinary least square regressions and Bootstrap-mediated effect analysis methods were used to examine the association between PMS, SWB, and SOC. The results show that PMS has significant negative effects on both SWB and SOC of unmarried rural men, and SOC has a significant positive impact on SWB; the more perceived marriage squeeze they have, the lower SWB and SOC they have. The mediated analysis shows that SOC plays a mediating role in the influence of PMS on the SWB of unmarried rural men. This is to say, SOC can mitigate PMS’s negative effects on the SWB of unmarried rural men. Our findings highlight the importance of SOC in protecting the SWB of unmarried rural men. Considering the propounding influence of the marriage squeeze, policies that enhance the level of SOC should be implemented to relieve the influence of PMS on vulnerable unmarried rural men’s SWB.

Introduction: Under the overlapping interaction of digitization and aging, the number of elderly Internet users has increased yearly. However, the impact of Internet use on the social networks of the elderly is still unclear. Methodology: In this study, we utilize the methods of ordinary least square regression (OLS), propensity score matching (PSM), instrumental variable (IV), and Bootstrap-mediated effect analysis methods using data from the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) to analyze the impact of Internet use on the social networks of the elderly and examine the mediating effect of social participation. Objectives: A total of 1363 validated respondents aged 60 or above were included to explore the relationship between Internet use, social networks, and social participation among the elderly in China. Results: The results show that Internet use positively and significantly impacts the social networks of the elderly. Compared to the elderly who do not use the Internet, the elderly who use the Internet have a larger social network size, more significant social network heterogeneity, and higher social network upper reachability. The mediated analysis shows that social participation plays a positive mediating role in the influence of Internet use on the social networks of the elderly. That is, Internet use will benefit the social network of the elderly by improving the level of their social participation. Besides, there also exists heterogeneity in the effect of Internet use on social networks among the elderly with different genders, ages, and places of residence. Conclusions: Internet use benefits the social network of the elderly, and social participation partially mediates the relationship between Internet use and the social network of the elderly. These findings have implications for formulating public policies aimed at active aging; it is necessary to bridge the “digital divide” and promote the digital integration of the elderly. Let more older adults benefit from Internet use, thus improving the social network and quality of life of the elderly.