Digital literacy, life satisfaction, social capital, and multidimensional health behaviors among middle-aged and older adults in rural China: A nationwide cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective: Digital literacy may be related to health behaviors, yet their associations remain less explored. This study examines the relationship between digital literacy and multidimensional health behaviors, including heterogeneous effects by gender, age group, and region. Furthermore, this study examines two mechanisms, drawing on self-determination theory and social capital theory. Methods: We used data from the China Rural Revitalization Survey (CRRS). The relationships between digital literacy and health behaviors was examined via binary logistic regression models. Bias-corrected percentile bootstrap KHB mediation models investigated the mediating roles of life satisfaction and social capital. Results: Digital literacy is positively and directly associated with all measured multidimensional health behaviors. The mediation analysis identified some significant indirect associations. Specifically, digital literacy is related to both physical exercise and physical examination through life satisfaction and relational social capital. Moreover, digital literacy is linked to dietary supplement intake through relational social capital and to physical examination and healthy diets through cognitive social capital. Heterogeneity analysis further revealed that digital literacy is more strongly associated with middle-aged adults’ physical examination, healthy diets, and dietary supplement intake, as well as males’ physical examination. Besides, stronger associations were found for residents in rural China's eastern and central regions, particularly for physical examination, healthy diets, and dietary supplement intake. Conclusions: These findings offer theoretical insights into the relationships between digital literacy and multidimensional health behaviors and provide practical guidance for encouraging and fostering health behaviors.