Exploring gender equality in digital health: A qualitative study of community-dwelling older Chinese women

Background Digital health is growing rapidly, and older women in China who live at home, deeply influenced by traditional culture, often take on family care duties. Existing research rarely focuses on older Chinese women in home and community settings, or on the factors that affect gender equality in digital health. A comprehensive understanding of their challenges in accessing and using digital health resources is lacking. Objective To explore the factors influencing gender equality in digital health for community-dwelling older Chinese women. Methods Descriptive qualitative study; 19 participants were purposely sampled via collaboration with family doctors. Semi-structured interviews and mixed content analysis, guided by the Women and Health framework, were used. Results Of the 19 participants (aged 60–82 years, mean = 68.8), 16 (84%) were married, 9 (47%) had upper secondary education, and 14 (74%) lived with family. Analysis of factors influencing digital health gender equality among community-dwelling older Chinese women identified four core themes: cultural beliefs and gendered self-management behaviors; digital solutions bridging self-care and caregiving roles; preferences for person-centered digital tools and implementation processes; and a relationship-embedded digital ecology. Conclusion This study identifies the tension between self-care and caregiving among older Chinese women living at home and shows that digital technology can alleviate this tension. Effective digital health interventions were found to depend not only on the technological adaptability of tools but also on human-centered interaction design integrated within existing digital ecosystems. These findings have practical implications for digital health targeting community-dwelling older Chinese women, highlighting the need for tailored, age-inclusive tools that integrate self-care and caregiving needs. This advances gender equality in digital health and narrows access disparities.