The association between internet use and cognition in older adults: empirical analysis based on CLASS 2023

Objective This study aims to investigate the relationship between Internet use and cognition among older adults and to elucidate the mediating mechanisms involving activities of daily living and depression. Methods Utilizing data from the 2023 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS), a sample of 9,012 older adults aged 60 to 90 was selected. A chain mediation model was constructed and analyzed using the PROCESS macro (Model 6) in SPSS 23.0. The significance of independent and chain mediation pathways was evaluated using the bootstrap method with 5,000 resamples. Results The results indicated that Internet use was significantly and positively correlated with cognition in older adults ( β = 0.098, p < 0.001). Mediation analysis revealed a total indirect effect of 0.091 (95% CI = [0.079, 0.102]). Specifically, the indirect effect through activities of daily living was 0.029 (95% CI = [0.023, 0.036]), and the indirect effect through depression was 0.058 (95% CI = [0.049, 0.067]). Furthermore, the chain mediation effect involving both activities of daily living and depression was 0.004 (95% CI [0.003, 0.005]). Conclusion The results indicated a significant positive correlation between Internet use and cognition in older adults. Furthermore, mediation analysis revealed that activities of daily living and depression played a partial mediating role between Internet use and cognition, involving both independent and chain mediating pathways. This suggests that Internet use may be linked to better cognitive performance through its association with higher levels of activities of daily living and lower levels of depression. Therefore, it is recommended to actively promote the digital inclusion of older adults. By providing digital skills training, enhancing Internet accessibility, and constructing age-friendly digital environments, society can help older adults better engage in the digital world, ultimately fostering their physical and mental well-being as well as active aging.