The Digital Divide of Older People in Communities: Urban‐Rural, Gender, and Health Disparities and Inequities.

The digital divide (DD) of older people is widening due to the rapid adoption of information and communication technologies (ICT) and the effects of COVID‐19. This study aims to explore the impact of urban‐rural, gender, and health inequalities on the DD of older people. First, the survey collected...

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Published in:Health & Social Care in the Community pp. 1 - 13
Main Authors: Zhang, Kai, Cheng, Xiaoting, Li, Dan, Meng, Xueling, Basu Roy, Sohini
Format: equations & formulas research tables/charts Journal Article
Published: Wiley-Blackwell 5/12/2025
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      pub: Wiley-Blackwell
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        atl: The Digital Divide of Older People in Communities: Urban‐Rural, Gender, and Health Disparities and Inequities.
      aug:
        au:
          Zhang, Kai
          Cheng, Xiaoting
          Li, Dan
          Meng, Xueling
          Basu Roy, Sohini
        affil: School of Public Administration,, Sichuan University,, Chengdu, 610065,, China, scu.edu.cn
      sug:
        subj:
          Digital Divide In Old Age
          Community Living In Old Age
          Urban Areas
          Rural Areas
          Healthcare Disparities
          Health Inequities
          Sex Factors
          Human
          Funding Source
          Aged
          Descriptive Statistics
          Linear Regression
          Intergenerational Relations
          Age Factors
          Access to Information
          Digital Technology
          Aging
          China
          Male
          Female
          Aged: 65+ years
          Male
          Female
      ab: The digital divide (DD) of older people is widening due to the rapid adoption of information and communication technologies (ICT) and the effects of COVID‐19. This study aims to explore the impact of urban‐rural, gender, and health inequalities on the DD of older people. First, the survey collected data on the use of ICT and the DD of older people (N = 624) in urban‐rural communities. Then, an evaluation index system for the DD of older people was constructed. The DD indices for older people and the weights of indicators can be calculated via the entropy weight method (EWM). Next, linear and hierarchical regressions were applied to analyze the disparities in the DD of older people in urban‐rural areas, gender, and health. Finally, the heterogeneity of the access divide (AD), use divide (UD), and knowledge divide (KD) were analyzed. The results indicated that the DD and KD of older people in rural communities are significantly higher than those in urban communities, mainly because of the poor infrastructure conditions in rural areas. Moreover, the migration of youth to work also reduced opportunities for intergenerational support. DD, AD, and UD were higher for older females than for older males because older females are more restricted by access to and use of digital technology. In addition, the poorer the health of older people is, the higher the AD and UD. Focusing on urban‐rural, gender, and health disparities helps bridge the DD among older people and is critical to the sustainable development of digitally inclusive aging societies.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        equations & formulas
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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