RELATION BETWEEN COGNITIVE DECLINE AND INTERNET UTILIZATION AMONG ELDERLY

Objectives: This essay investigates the possible effect of internet utilization on cognitive
decline among elderly.
Methods: Cognitive decline is measured by changes in cognition assessed by several
variables from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Variables describe fluid intelligence,
mental status, crystallized intelligence, and metacognition. I regress these variables
measuring cognitive decline on internet utilization at three different timespans for both
genders, individually. I also examine whether the effect of internet utilization changes on
cognitive decline after controlling for retirement. As a sensitivity analysis, I exclude possibly
impaired respondents. To study the effect of internet utilization on cognitive decline,
I conduct different regressions depending on the type of various dependent variables. I use
ordinary least squares and ordered logistic regressions.
Results: I find strong correlations between increased internet utilization and weakening
in cognitive decline assessed by all category of cognition. Fluid intelligence has
the strongest association, whereas mental status, crystallized intelligence, and metacognition
are less frequently affected by internet utilization. Women are also more frequently
affected at different timespans. Neither retirement, nor excluding possibly impaired individuals
change the effect of internet usage.
Conclusion: Regardless of the measure applied, cognitive decline is significantly reduced
by internet utilization.

研究目标：本文旨在探讨互联网使用对老年人认知衰退的潜在影响。
研究方法：本研究采用健康与退休研究（Health and Retirement Study, HRS）中的多项指标评估认知变化，以此衡量认知衰退。所涉指标涵盖流体智力、心理状态、晶体智力以及元认知。随后，分别针对不同性别，在三个不同时间跨度下，将上述用于衡量认知衰退的指标对互联网使用情况进行回归分析。此外，本研究还检验了在控制退休因素后，互联网使用对认知衰退的影响是否发生变化。作为敏感性分析，本研究剔除了可能存在认知损伤的受访者。为探究互联网使用对认知衰退的影响，本研究依据不同类型的因变量开展了多种回归分析，包括普通最小二乘（ordinary least squares）回归与有序逻辑（ordered logistic）回归。
研究结果：本研究发现，互联网使用频率提升与各类认知指标评估出的认知衰退减缓存在显著相关性。其中，流体智力与互联网使用的关联最为紧密，而心理状态、晶体智力及元认知受互联网使用影响的频率相对较低。此外，女性在不同时间跨度下受互联网使用影响的频率也更高。无论是控制退休因素，还是剔除可能存在认知损伤的受访者，均未改变互联网使用的影响效应。
研究结论：无论采用何种认知评估指标，互联网使用均可显著减缓老年人的认知衰退。