Work

Internet use patterns among older adults with different frailty statuses: a qualitative user persona study from a health equity perspective

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Objective: This study aimed to explore patterns of internet use and related influencing factors among older adults with varying frailty statuses from a health equity perspective by constructing user personas, thereby providing a basis for developing targeted digital inclusion strategies. Methods: A descriptive qualitative design was employed. From October to December 2025, 24 older adults with internet-use experience were recruited from one community hospital and one tertiary hospital in Chongqing, China, using purposive sampling combined with a maximum variation strategy. Frailty status was assessed using the Frailty Index, and data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using inductive content analysis. Individualized multidimensional profiles were constructed for each participant and subsequently compared across cases to develop user personas. The three-level digital divide framework was then applied as an interpretive lens to compare the identified personas. Results: Four core dimensions were identified: health status and self-management, digital participation foundation and capability, internet-use orientation and behavioral patterns, and constraints and enabling conditions. Based on these dimensions, five user personas were developed: Health-Empowered Integrators, Basic-Function Adapters, Entertainment-Oriented Users, Resource-Limited Users, and Health-Affected Users. The personas differed in internet access, digital capability and actual patterns of use, and opportunities to translate digital participation into health-related resources and potential benefits. Frailty was an important health-related context influencing digital participation, but it did not correspond directly to patterns of internet use. Instead, health-related functional limitations, digital capability, educational and learning resources, and social support jointly contributed to different patterns of digital participation. Conclusion: Internet use among older adults is heterogeneous. Patterns of digital participation are not determined by frailty severity alone but are jointly influenced by health, capability, and resource-related conditions. Providing targeted support according to the characteristics of different user personas may help promote more equitable digital participation and access to health-related digital resources among older adults.

Source: Frontiers in Public Health

DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1912591