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The Relationship between Internet Use and Population Health: A Cross-Sectional Survey in China

Author

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  • Liqing Li

    (School of Public Administration and Law, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410100, China)

  • Haifeng Ding

    (School of Public Administration and Law, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410100, China)

Abstract

Given the increasing use of the Internet in China, the relationship between Internet use and population health has been receiving increased academic attention. However, the current literature has not yet reached a unified conclusion; thus, further research is very necessary. This study used the 2018 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) data to explore the relationship between Internet use and the health of the population and to evaluate the possible heterogeneity of the association between different groups and the mediation path. This study revealed that Internet use has a positive association with the subjective health of the population. The results of the heterogeneity analysis revealed that Internet use is more significantly associated with the health of non-agricultural workers and those with higher education levels than that of agricultural workers and those with lower education levels. Further analysis revealed that health behavior is an important mediator between Internet use and population health. These results remain robust even after using propensity score matching (PSM) to eliminate sample selection bias.

Suggested Citation

  • Liqing Li & Haifeng Ding, 2022. "The Relationship between Internet Use and Population Health: A Cross-Sectional Survey in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-17, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:3:p:1322-:d:733052
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Liqing Li & Haifeng Ding & Zihan Li, 2022. "Does Internet Use Impact the Health Status of Middle-Aged and Older Populations? Evidence from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-13, March.
    2. Mo Zhou & Isao Igarashi & Koichi Kawabuchi, 2023. "Static and Dynamic Impacts of Internet Use on Self-Rated Health among Adults in China: A Hybrid Model Analysis Based on National Panel Survey Data," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-13, January.
    3. Mengyuan Sui & Haifeng Ding & Bo Xu & Mingxing Zhou, 2022. "The Impact of Internet Use on the Happiness of Chinese Civil Servants: A Mediation Analysis Based on Self-Rated Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-16, October.

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