Internet use associated with modest health differences in older adults

In a longitudinal cohort study of Portuguese adults aged 60 and older, Internet use was associated with modestly higher health-related quality of life and better physical function during follow-up. The analysis included 1,604 participants from the population-based EpiDoC Cohort, who were followed between 2013 and 2021. Internet users had an average health-related quality-of-life score 0.05 points higher and a physical-function score 0.13 points lower than non-users, after adjustment for time since baseline and socioeconomic and health covariates.

Participants were followed for an average of 3.2 years, with a standard deviation of 2.6 years, for a maximum of three assessment waves. Internet use was self-reported and captured information on whether participants used the Internet, the number of years they had used it and their frequency of use. Health-related quality of life was assessed with the EQ-5D-3L instrument, and physical function was assessed with the Health Assessment Questionnaire, or HAQ. The researchers used linear mixed models and random-intercept Tobit regressions in their analysis.

Among the 1,604 people studied, 366, or 22.8%, reported using the Internet. These participants had used it for an average of 9.4 years and reported an average of 8.4 hours of use per week. The models accounted for repeated observations and included sex, age, residence, education, marital status, body mass index, smoking, alcohol use, exercise and multimorbidity as covariates. After adjustment, the quality-of-life estimate for Internet users was 0.05 points higher, with a 95% confidence interval of 0.02 to 0.08. The physical-function estimate was 0.13 points lower, with a 95% confidence interval of −0.23 to −0.03.

These results describe an association in a population-based observational cohort, not evidence that Internet use caused the measured differences. The analysis was limited to Portuguese adults aged 60 and older, and Internet habits were self-reported. The study therefore supports the conclusion that Internet use was linked to small differences in health-related quality of life and physical function during follow-up, while leaving the underlying explanation unresolved. Its authors identified the potential relevance of safe and accessible Internet use among older adults, but the observational design and modest size of the estimates require cautious interpretation.

Subject of Research: Associations between Internet use, health-related quality of life and physical function in older adults

Article Title: Internet use and health related quality of life in older adults: longitudinal analysis of a population-based cohort

Article References: Henriques, A. R., Mendonça, N., Aguiar, P., Gonçalves, C. F., Canhão, H., De Cock, D., & Rodrigues, A. M. (2026). Internet use and health related quality of life in older adults: longitudinal analysis of a population-based cohort. BMC Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-026-30007-6

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12889-026-30007-6

Keywords: Internet use, older adults, health-related quality of life, physical function, longitudinal cohort, Portugal, EpiDoC Cohort, observational study, Internet, health, related, quality