Perceived digital health information support was positively associated with self-rated health among Chinese adults, with physical activity serving as a statistically significant indirect behavioral pathway, particularly strengthened among adults with chronic health conditions.
Perceived digital health information support was positively associated with self-rated health among Chinese adults.
Perceived digital health information support was positively associated with physical activity.
Physical activity represented a statistically significant indirect component of the association between perceived digital health information support and self-rated health.
Chronic health conditions moderated the association between physical activity and self-rated health, strengthening it.
The indirect association between perceived digital health information support and self-rated health via physical activity differed significantly by age, but not by sex, marital status, or socioeconomic status.
This research suggests that Chinese adults who find internet-based health information useful for understanding medical issues and making health-related decisions tend to rate their own health more positively. The study, which analyzed survey data from 2,690 adults collected in 2021, also found that being more physically active was part of the reason why people who perceived digital health information as helpful also reported better health — this physical activity pathway explained about 9.35% of the overall relationship between perceived digital health support and self-rated health. The study also found that having a chronic health condition made the connection between physical activity and self-rated health even stronger, suggesting that staying active may be especially meaningful for people managing ongoing health issues. When the researchers looked at whether these patterns differed across different groups of people, they found that age made a significant difference in how the physical activity pathway operated, while differences by sex, marital status, and socioeconomic status were not statistically significant. This research suggests that simply making health information available online may not be enough to improve population health. The findings point to the importance of combining accessible digital health information with practical opportunities for physical activity and in-person behavioral support, particularly to avoid widening existing health inequities. The authors caution that because people differ in how they access and use digital health resources, digital health tools could potentially increase rather than decrease health disparities if not designed with equity in mind.
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Upload Your LabsYang X, Fu X, Wu Z, Xiao L, Luo M. (2026). Perceived digital health information support and self-rated health among Chinese adults: physical activity mediation and chronic health condition moderation.. Frontiers in public health. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1919116