Intelligent health management technology use and depressive symptoms among older adults: the serial mediating roles of physical activity and social adaptation

Abstract

Objective This study examined the association between intelligent health management technology (IHMT) use and depressive symptoms among older adults in China, focusing on the mediating roles of physical activity and social adaptation. Methods Using data from the 2023 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey, this cross-sectional study included 10,300 older adults aged 60 years and above. A serial mediation model was estimated using the PROCESS macro (Model 6) in SPSS 25.0. The significance of the indirect effects was tested using bootstrap methods with 5,000 resamples. Results IHMT use was significantly associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms after adjustment for covariates. The results identified three significant indirect associations: through physical activity, through social adaptation, and sequentially through physical activity and social adaptation. IHMT use was positively associated with physical activity and social adaptation, and physical activity was positively associated with social adaptation. Conclusion Higher levels of IHMT use were associated with fewer depressive symptoms through both independent and sequential associations involving physical activity and social adaptation. These findings should be interpreted cautiously because the cross-sectional design does not permit causal inference or establish temporal ordering. Nevertheless, the findings indicate a potentially meaningful pattern linking IHMT use, health behavior, social adaptation, and depressive symptoms among older adults.