PDF(Pubmed)
Abstract：
Chronic disease incidence among the elderly is increasing, which is correlated with the acceleration of population aging. Evolving internet technologies may help prevent and provide interventions for chronic diseases in an accelerating aging process. However, the impact of daily internet use on the incidence of chronic diseases is not well understood.
This study aims to investigate whether daily internet use by middle-aged and older adults may inhibit or promote the occurrence of chronic diseases.
We included participants from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), a longitudinal survey of Chinese residents aged ≥45 years. We assessed 8-year data from wave 1 (June 2011-March 2012) to wave 4 (July-September 2018) in CHARLS. Data from wave 4 were used for a cross-sectional study, and data from all 4 waves were used for a longitudinal study. Self-reported data were used to track variables, including internet use, use frequency, and the incidence of different chronic diseases. Cox proportional hazards modeling was applied in the longitudinal study to examine the relationship between daily internet use and chronic diseases among middle-aged and older adults, while adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and health behaviors. In addition, longitudinal data were used to analyze internet usage trends, and cross-sectional data were used to analyze the factors influencing internet use.
Among the 20,113 participants included in the longitudinal analyses, internet use increased significantly, from 2% to 12.3%, between 2011 and 2018. The adjusted model found statistically significant relationships between daily internet use and a lower incidence of the following chronic diseases: hypertension (hazard ratio [HR] 0.78, 95% CI 0.65-0.95, P=.01), chronic lung disease (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.57-0.97, P=.03), stroke (HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.50-0.94, P=.02), digestive disease (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.58-0.91, P=.005), memory-related disorders (HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.37-0.91, P=.02), arthritis or rheumatism (HR 0.60, 95% CI 0.48-0.76, P<.001), asthma (HR 0.52, 95% CI 0.33-0.84, P=.007), depression (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.71-0.89, P<.001), and vision impairment (HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.74-0.93, P=.004). Moreover, our study also showed that with increasing frequency of internet use, the risk of some chronic diseases decreases.
This study found that middle-aged and older adults who use the internet have a reduced risk of developing chronic diseases versus those who do not use the internet. The increasing prevalence of daily internet use among middle-aged and older adults may stimulate contemplation of the potential role of internet platforms in future research on chronic disease prevention.
This study aims to investigate whether daily internet use by middle-aged and older adults may inhibit or promote the occurrence of chronic diseases.
We included participants from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), a longitudinal survey of Chinese residents aged ≥45 years. We assessed 8-year data from wave 1 (June 2011-March 2012) to wave 4 (July-September 2018) in CHARLS. Data from wave 4 were used for a cross-sectional study, and data from all 4 waves were used for a longitudinal study. Self-reported data were used to track variables, including internet use, use frequency, and the incidence of different chronic diseases. Cox proportional hazards modeling was applied in the longitudinal study to examine the relationship between daily internet use and chronic diseases among middle-aged and older adults, while adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and health behaviors. In addition, longitudinal data were used to analyze internet usage trends, and cross-sectional data were used to analyze the factors influencing internet use.
Among the 20,113 participants included in the longitudinal analyses, internet use increased significantly, from 2% to 12.3%, between 2011 and 2018. The adjusted model found statistically significant relationships between daily internet use and a lower incidence of the following chronic diseases: hypertension (hazard ratio [HR] 0.78, 95% CI 0.65-0.95, P=.01), chronic lung disease (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.57-0.97, P=.03), stroke (HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.50-0.94, P=.02), digestive disease (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.58-0.91, P=.005), memory-related disorders (HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.37-0.91, P=.02), arthritis or rheumatism (HR 0.60, 95% CI 0.48-0.76, P<.001), asthma (HR 0.52, 95% CI 0.33-0.84, P=.007), depression (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.71-0.89, P<.001), and vision impairment (HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.74-0.93, P=.004). Moreover, our study also showed that with increasing frequency of internet use, the risk of some chronic diseases decreases.
This study found that middle-aged and older adults who use the internet have a reduced risk of developing chronic diseases versus those who do not use the internet. The increasing prevalence of daily internet use among middle-aged and older adults may stimulate contemplation of the potential role of internet platforms in future research on chronic disease prevention.
摘要：
背景：老年人慢性病发病率正在增加，这与人口老龄化的加速有关。不断发展的互联网技术可能有助于在加速衰老过程中预防和提供针对慢性病的干预措施。然而,日常使用互联网对慢性病发病率的影响尚不清楚。
目的：本研究旨在探讨中老年人日常上网是否会抑制或促进慢性病的发生。
方法：我们纳入了中国健康与退休纵向研究（CHARLS）的参与者，对中国45岁以上居民的纵向调查。我们评估了CHARLS从第1波（2011年6月至2012年3月）到第4波（2018年7月至9月）的8年数据。第4波的数据用于横断面研究，所有4个波的数据都用于纵向研究。自我报告的数据用于跟踪变量，包括互联网使用，使用频率，以及不同慢性病的发病率。在纵向研究中应用Cox比例风险模型来检验中老年人日常网络使用与慢性病之间的关系。同时调整社会人口统计学特征和健康行为。此外,纵向数据用于分析互联网使用趋势，并利用横断面数据对影响互联网使用的因素进行分析。
结果：在纵向分析的20,113名参与者中，互联网使用显著增加，从2%到12.3%，2011年至2018年。调整后的模型发现，每天使用互联网与以下慢性疾病的较低发病率之间存在统计学上的显着关系：高血压（风险比[HR]0.78，95％CI0.65-0.95，P=0.01），慢性肺病（HR0.74，95%CI0.57-0.97，P=0.03），卒中（HR0.69，95%CI0.50-0.94，P=0.02），消化系统疾病（HR0.73，95%CI0.58-0.91，P=0.005），记忆相关疾病（HR0.58，95%CI0.37-0.91，P=0.02），关节炎或风湿病（HR0.60，95％CI0.48-0.76，P<.001），哮喘（HR0.52，95%CI0.33-0.84，P=.007），抑郁症（HR0.80，95%CI0.71-0.89，P<.001），和视力障碍（HR0.83，95%CI0.74-0.93，P=.004）。此外，我们的研究还表明，随着互联网使用频率的增加，一些慢性疾病的风险降低。
结论：这项研究发现，与不使用互联网的人相比，使用互联网的中老年人患慢性病的风险降低。中老年人日常使用互联网的日益普遍可能会激发人们对互联网平台在未来慢性病预防研究中的潜在作用的思考。
目的：本研究旨在探讨中老年人日常上网是否会抑制或促进慢性病的发生。
方法：我们纳入了中国健康与退休纵向研究（CHARLS）的参与者，对中国45岁以上居民的纵向调查。我们评估了CHARLS从第1波（2011年6月至2012年3月）到第4波（2018年7月至9月）的8年数据。第4波的数据用于横断面研究，所有4个波的数据都用于纵向研究。自我报告的数据用于跟踪变量，包括互联网使用，使用频率，以及不同慢性病的发病率。在纵向研究中应用Cox比例风险模型来检验中老年人日常网络使用与慢性病之间的关系。同时调整社会人口统计学特征和健康行为。此外,纵向数据用于分析互联网使用趋势，并利用横断面数据对影响互联网使用的因素进行分析。
结果：在纵向分析的20,113名参与者中，互联网使用显著增加，从2%到12.3%，2011年至2018年。调整后的模型发现，每天使用互联网与以下慢性疾病的较低发病率之间存在统计学上的显着关系：高血压（风险比[HR]0.78，95％CI0.65-0.95，P=0.01），慢性肺病（HR0.74，95%CI0.57-0.97，P=0.03），卒中（HR0.69，95%CI0.50-0.94，P=0.02），消化系统疾病（HR0.73，95%CI0.58-0.91，P=0.005），记忆相关疾病（HR0.58，95%CI0.37-0.91，P=0.02），关节炎或风湿病（HR0.60，95％CI0.48-0.76，P<.001），哮喘（HR0.52，95%CI0.33-0.84，P=.007），抑郁症（HR0.80，95%CI0.71-0.89，P<.001），和视力障碍（HR0.83，95%CI0.74-0.93，P=.004）。此外，我们的研究还表明，随着互联网使用频率的增加，一些慢性疾病的风险降低。
结论：这项研究发现，与不使用互联网的人相比，使用互联网的中老年人患慢性病的风险降低。中老年人日常使用互联网的日益普遍可能会激发人们对互联网平台在未来慢性病预防研究中的潜在作用的思考。
