BACKGROUND The Internet is increasingly becoming an infrastructure for a number of services, both commercial, public (including health related) and personal. Using the internet have the potential to promote social interaction and social connectedness by upholding social networks and social contacts. However, Internet use is lower in older adults compared to other age groups. This digital divide is considered a risk to the health of older adults since it limits their participation in society, access and use of relevant health related information and services. This study focuses on whether there is an association between Internet use and self-rated health. METHOD A cross-sectional population-based sample of 70-year-olds from The Gothenburg H70 Birth Cohort Study (n = 1136) was examined in 2014-16. All data was collected using structured interviews and questionnaires. Differences in proportions were tested with chi-square test and ordinary least square regression analysis was used to estimate the relationship between Internet use and self-rated health controlling for health factors, hearing and visual impairment, and social contacts. RESULTS There is a relationship between more frequent Internet use and good self-rated health (unstandardized β 0.101 p < 0.001), and the effect remained after adjusting for all covariates (unstandardized β 0.082 p < 0.001). Our results also show that, in comparison to health factors, Internet use is of minor importance to the SRH of older adults, since adding these improved the explanatory power of the model by approximately 400% (from 0.04 to 0.18). CONCLUSION Although the direction of the relationship between more frequent interne use and better self-rated health is undetermined in the present study, it can be suggested that using the Internet informs and educates older adults, strengthening their position as active and engaged participants of society. It can also be suggested that those using the Internet report less loneliness and a possibility to establish new computer-mediated relationships within online communities. Further research needs to examine what aspects of Internet use, and in what contexts such positive perceptions arise.

中文翻译：

---

瑞典70岁人群的互联网使用状况和自我评估的健康状况：一项横断面研究。

背景技术互联网越来越成为商业，公共（包括健康相关）和个人服务的基础设施。通过坚持使用社交网络和社交联系，使用互联网具有促进社交互动和社交联系的潜力。但是，与其他年龄组相比，老年人的互联网使用率较低。这种数字鸿沟被认为对老年人的健康构成威胁，因为它限制了他们参与社会，获取和使用与健康有关的信息和服务的机会。这项研究的重点是互联网使用与自我评估的健康之间是否存在关联。方法在2014-16年度，对来自Gothenburg H70出生队列研究（n = 1136）的70岁人群的以人口为基础的横断面样本进行了检查。所有数据均使用结构化访谈和问卷调查收集。用卡方检验检验比例的差异，并使用普通最小二乘回归分析来估计互联网使用与自我评估健康控制因素（健康因素，听觉和​​视觉障碍以及社交接触）之间的关系。结果互联网使用频率的提高与良好的自我评估的健康状况之间存在关联（非标准化β0.101 p <0.001），并且在对所有协变量进行了调整之后，效果仍然存在（非标准化β0.082 p <0.001）。我们的结果还表明，与健康因素相比，互联网使用对老年人的SRH重要性不大，因为添加这些因素可使模​​型的解释力提高约400％（从0.04到0.18）。结论尽管本研究尚不确定更频繁地使用实习生与更好的自我评估健康之间的关系的方向，但是可以建议使用互联网为老年人提供信息和教育，加强他们作为活跃和参与社会参与者的地位。也可以建议那些使用Internet的人报告较少的孤独感，并且有可能在在线社区内建立新的计算机介导的关系。进一步的研究需要检查互联网使用的哪些方面，以及在什么情况下产生这种积极的看法。也可以建议那些使用Internet的人报告较少的孤独感，并且有可能在在线社区内建立新的计算机介导的关系。进一步的研究需要检查互联网使用的哪些方面，以及在什么情况下产生这种积极的看法。也可以建议那些使用Internet的人报告较少的孤独感，并且有可能在在线社区内建立新的计算机介导的关系。进一步的研究需要检查互联网使用的哪些方面，以及在什么情况下产生这种积极的看法。