Internet access and use for health information and its association with health outcomes in older adults in 30 countries.

Background: Older adults, as a vulnerable population, typically show lower engagement with eHealth technologies. Limited internet access and low use for health information may contribute to poorer health outcomes.

Objectives: The purposes of this study were to examine differences in socio-demographics and compare healthy lifestyles, health statuses and attitudes toward online health information among different groups of internet access and use for health information.

Design: This cross-sectional study utilised secondary data from the International Social Survey Programme.

Methods: A structured questionnaire was used for data collection from May 2023 to April 2024. Respondents were divided into three groups: 22.02% in a No-Access group (no internet access), 28.75% in a Non-User group (have access but do not use it for health information), and 49.22% in a User group (have access and use it for health information). In total, 14 008 respondents aged over 60 years from 30 countries were selected.

Results: Groups were significantly associated with most sociodemographic factors, with the educational level showing the strongest effect size in both access/no-access and users/non-users comparisons. Older adults in the No-Access group had lower frequencies of healthy lifestyles and worse health statuses, while those in the User group had higher frequencies of healthy lifestyles, better health statuses, and positive attitudes toward online health information.

Conclusions: Promoting a digitally inclusive environment is essential for enhancing internet access and use among older adults to support healthier lifestyles and improved health statuses.