Internet use was associated with mental health benefits for rural older adults in China, but older migrant women derived fewer mental health benefits from Internet use than their male counterparts, and left-behind older women derived fewer benefits than left-behind older men.
Key Findings
Results
Rural older migrants had worse mental health than left-behind older adults or those without migrant children.
The study found 'a progressive decline in depressive symptoms and a corresponding increase in mental well-being among older migrants, left-behind older adults, and those without migrant children'
Mental health status followed an ordering pattern across migration status groups, with older migrants faring worst
Data were drawn from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) 2020
The sample consisted of rural older adults in China categorized by migration status
Results
Internet use was associated with mental health benefits for rural older adults, and these benefits increased alongside improvement in baseline mental health status.
Propensity score matching was used to analyze the effect of Internet use on mental health as a function of migration status and gender
The mental health benefits associated with Internet use 'increased alongside this improvement' in baseline mental well-being across the three migration status groups
Benefits were observed for both depressive symptoms and mental well-being outcomes
The CFPS 2020 dataset provided the source data for these analyses
Results
Older migrant women derived fewer mental health benefits from Internet use than older migrant men.
The paper states 'older migrant women derived fewer mental health benefits from Internet use than their male counterparts'
This gender difference was identified specifically within the older migrant subgroup
Propensity score matching methodology was used to identify these differential effects
This finding was highlighted as an important result warranting policy attention
Results
Left-behind older women derived fewer mental health benefits from Internet use than left-behind older men.
The paper states 'left-behind older women relative to men in the same cohort' also derived fewer mental health benefits from Internet use
This gender gap in Internet-related mental health benefits was consistent across both the migrant and left-behind subgroups
Left-behind older adults are defined as those whose children have migrated away
The finding suggests a systematic gender disparity in the mental health returns to Internet use among rural older adults
Conclusions
The authors recommend paying more attention to rural older migrants, especially older women, to improve their willingness and ability to use the Internet.
The conclusion states 'it is necessary to pay more attention to rural older migrants, especially older women, to improve their willingness and ability to use the Internet'
This recommendation was based on the dual finding that older migrants had worse mental health and that older migrant women benefited less from Internet use
The policy implication targets both motivation ('willingness') and capability ('ability') for Internet use
The study used CFPS 2020 data from rural China as the empirical basis for these recommendations
Li X, Duan T, Cui S, Zhou D, Hu Y, Xu S. (2026). Migration status and internet use: gender differences in mental health among rural older adults in China.. Frontiers in public health. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1697446