互联网使用与中国中老年人的社会孤立及孤独感的双向关系:一项纵向交叉滞后研究OA

Objective:To examine the bidirectional longitudinal associations among internet use,social isolation,and loneliness in Chinese middle-aged and older adults,and to explore potential gender differences in these rela-tionships.Methods:Using two-wave follow-up data(2018 and 2020)from the China health and retirement longi-tudinal study(CHARLS),a cross-lagged panel model was established to analyze the autoregressive and cross-lagged effects among internet use,social isolation,and loneliness.Gender-stratified analyses were further per-formed.Results:Autoregressive analyses indicated temporal stability in internet use,social isolation,and loneli-ness among middle-aged and older adults over time(P＜0.001).Cross-lagged analyses revealed a bidirectional negative predictive relationship between internet use(β=-0.185,95%CI:-0.213 to-0.156)and social isolation(β=-0.319,95%CI:-0.366 to-0.272).Social isolation positively predicted later loneliness(β=0.091,95%CI:0.056 to 0.126),whereas loneliness reduced subsequent social isolation(β=-0.056,95%CI:-0.094 to-0.018).Loneliness positively predicted later internet use(β=0.139,95%CI:0.090 to 0.188),while internet use decreased subsequent loneliness(β=-0.053,95%CI:-0.081 to-0.024).The autoregressive and cross-lagged patterns in males were largely consistent with the overall results.However,among females,the predictive effects of internet use on loneliness and of loneliness on social isolation did not reach statistical significance.Conclusion:Internet use,social isolation,and loneliness are reciprocally associated among Chinese middle-aged and older adults.Ac-cordingly,encouraging internet use among community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults is warranted to en-hance social connectedness,reduce loneliness,and promote mental health.