BACKGROUND
Although economic factors account for the digital divide, the effect of economic insecurity on digital access has not been determined. The market-oriented reform of the Chinese State-Owned Enterprises in the 1990s resulted in massive layoffs, encouraging us to investigate the relationship between economic insecurity and the digital divide.
OBJECTIVE
First, the study investigates the relationship between economic insecurity and the digital divide. Second, the study provides insight into m-health for policymakers in the context of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.
METHODS
We draw on data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS 2011) and CHARLS Life History Survey (2014). To handle endogenous problems related to economic insecurity, we introduced instrumental variables to our models. We also divided digital access into personal and infrastructure information communication technology (ICT).
RESULTS
We found a negative relationship between economic insecurity and the digital divide only in infrastructure ICT. Additionally, we found that only chronic disease contributes to the digital divide among older people.
CONCLUSIONS
Older people are confronted with a dual digital divide: health-related and economic insecurity-related.This study provides insight into mobile health policy involving underprivileged people under the context of economic insecurity triggered by COVID-19.