Influence of Internet use on Chinese residents’ health: The mediating role of health knowledge

Abstract

Information and communication technology development and the digital economy impact human health. The mechanisms of how Internet use affects health outcomes through proximal factors such as health knowledge have not been adequately investigated in China. Therefore, through the China Health and Nutrition Survey database, this study aimed to verify whether Internet use could influence residents' health status by affecting health knowledge levels. We applied Probit regression and mediating models to achieve this goal. This paper provides direct evidence that Internet use may impact individuals' physical health through health knowledge mechanisms. Our study could provide insight into the use of the Internet and its impact on individual human health. In addition, the investigations and findings of this paper could further inspire policy measures with practical implications, such as Internet regulation, Internet policy interventions, and Internet infrastructure development.