How does internet use affect the mental health of older adults: examining the mediating pathways of perception of social fairness and physical activity.

Internet use was significantly and directly associated with better mental health in older adults.

• Sample consisted of 3,206 adults aged 60 and above from the 2023 China General Social Survey (CGSS).
• Direct association: β = 0.098, p < 0.001.
• Mental health was operationalized using a single-item measure of the frequency of depressive moods.
• Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used for analysis.
• Robustness checks were conducted using propensity score matching (PSM).

Internet use had a negative indirect effect on mental health through reduced perceived social justice.

• This was identified via parallel mediation analysis.
• The indirect effect estimate was β = -0.017, p < 0.001.
• Internet use was associated with lower perceived social justice, which in turn was associated with poorer mental health.
• This pathway opposed the direct positive association of internet use with mental health.

Internet use had a positive indirect effect on mental health through increased physical activity.

• This was identified via parallel mediation analysis.
• The indirect effect estimate was β = 0.027, p < 0.001.
• Internet use was associated with greater physical activity, which in turn was associated with better mental health.
• This pathway aligned with the direct positive association of internet use with mental health.

A significant chained mediation pathway was identified from internet use through lower perceived social justice and reduced physical activity to poorer mental health.

• The chained pathway was: internet use → lower perceived social justice → reduced physical activity → poorer mental health.
• The chained mediation effect estimate was β = -0.018, p < 0.001.
• The authors describe this as a potential 'cognition-behavior' transmission pathway.
• This chained pathway represents an additional negative indirect mechanism beyond the parallel mediators.

Multi-group analysis confirmed significant gender differences in the mediating pathways between internet use and mental health.

• Gender differences were identified in the indirect pathways via perceived social justice and physical activity.
• Specific gender-stratified effect sizes were not reported in the abstract.
• The analysis used multi-group SEM to test for moderation by gender.

The study design was cross-sectional, precluding causal inference from the mediation findings.

• Data were drawn from the 2023 China General Social Survey (CGSS), a cross-sectional dataset.
• The authors explicitly state: 'these mediation analyses are statistical and exploratory in nature, and do not establish temporal or causal ordering.'
• A cross-sectional design is listed as a key limitation of the study.