Mobility, ICT, and health: a built environment investigation of older Chinese migrants’ social isolation and loneliness
Abstract Background Social isolation and loneliness have detrimental impacts on health, especially for older adults. During the COVID-19 pandemic, physical access to third places (e.g., coffee shops, libraries) decreased due to the closure of non-essential destinations and personal risk assessments....
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| Language: | English |
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BMC
2025-02-01
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| Series: | BMC Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21750-3 |
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| author | Amber DeJohn Bochu Liu Xinlin Ma Michael J. Widener Zhilin Liu |
| author_facet | Amber DeJohn Bochu Liu Xinlin Ma Michael J. Widener Zhilin Liu |
| author_sort | Amber DeJohn |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Social isolation and loneliness have detrimental impacts on health, especially for older adults. During the COVID-19 pandemic, physical access to third places (e.g., coffee shops, libraries) decreased due to the closure of non-essential destinations and personal risk assessments. Older adults reported adopting information and communication technology (ICT) during pandemic lockdowns. ICT-mediated socializing may have different impacts on loneliness than in-person equivalents. Understanding access to social connection and their distinct relationships to the built environment and health for older Chinese migrants is critical to supporting equitable, healthy aging in a post-COVID world. Methods Using a survey of older Chinese migrants in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) during the extended COVID-19 lockdown, we investigate how community mobility and ICT use, two mechanisms of socializing, relate to the built environment and influence loneliness (De Jong Gierveld 6-item scale), as well as mental and physical health (SF-12). Specifically, we use a structural equation model to test a theoretical framework of older adult social isolation. Results Our model demonstrates the importance of community mobility for reducing feelings of loneliness, while ICT use is significantly related to better physical health. Both community mobility and ICT use have significant, although opposite, relationships to transit density. Conclusions Results indicate that ICT use might have limited ability to reduce loneliness and support mental health when mobility is limited. Addressing older migrants’ barriers to community mobility is critical to reducing feelings of loneliness. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-11c09c293c444c6b836f4764ad9913b0 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-11c09c293c444c6b836f4764ad9913b02025-02-09T12:57:59ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582025-02-0125111110.1186/s12889-025-21750-3Mobility, ICT, and health: a built environment investigation of older Chinese migrants’ social isolation and lonelinessAmber DeJohn0Bochu Liu1Xinlin Ma2Michael J. Widener3Zhilin Liu4Department of Geography, Florida State UniversityCollege of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji UniversityDepartment of City and Regional Planning, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillDepartment of Geography & Planning, University of TorontoSchool of Public Policy & Management, Tsinghua UniversityAbstract Background Social isolation and loneliness have detrimental impacts on health, especially for older adults. During the COVID-19 pandemic, physical access to third places (e.g., coffee shops, libraries) decreased due to the closure of non-essential destinations and personal risk assessments. Older adults reported adopting information and communication technology (ICT) during pandemic lockdowns. ICT-mediated socializing may have different impacts on loneliness than in-person equivalents. Understanding access to social connection and their distinct relationships to the built environment and health for older Chinese migrants is critical to supporting equitable, healthy aging in a post-COVID world. Methods Using a survey of older Chinese migrants in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) during the extended COVID-19 lockdown, we investigate how community mobility and ICT use, two mechanisms of socializing, relate to the built environment and influence loneliness (De Jong Gierveld 6-item scale), as well as mental and physical health (SF-12). Specifically, we use a structural equation model to test a theoretical framework of older adult social isolation. Results Our model demonstrates the importance of community mobility for reducing feelings of loneliness, while ICT use is significantly related to better physical health. Both community mobility and ICT use have significant, although opposite, relationships to transit density. Conclusions Results indicate that ICT use might have limited ability to reduce loneliness and support mental health when mobility is limited. Addressing older migrants’ barriers to community mobility is critical to reducing feelings of loneliness.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21750-3Social isolationLonelinessMobilityICTOlder adultsMigrants |
| spellingShingle | Amber DeJohn Bochu Liu Xinlin Ma Michael J. Widener Zhilin Liu Mobility, ICT, and health: a built environment investigation of older Chinese migrants’ social isolation and loneliness BMC Public Health Social isolation Loneliness Mobility ICT Older adults Migrants |
| title | Mobility, ICT, and health: a built environment investigation of older Chinese migrants’ social isolation and loneliness |
| title_full | Mobility, ICT, and health: a built environment investigation of older Chinese migrants’ social isolation and loneliness |
| title_fullStr | Mobility, ICT, and health: a built environment investigation of older Chinese migrants’ social isolation and loneliness |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mobility, ICT, and health: a built environment investigation of older Chinese migrants’ social isolation and loneliness |
| title_short | Mobility, ICT, and health: a built environment investigation of older Chinese migrants’ social isolation and loneliness |
| title_sort | mobility ict and health a built environment investigation of older chinese migrants social isolation and loneliness |
| topic | Social isolation Loneliness Mobility ICT Older adults Migrants |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21750-3 |
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