Older Black caregivers in the U.S. South show lower rates of internet use and digital health engagement compared to White counterparts, despite potentially greater healthcare burden. These disparities in digital access create measurable barriers to health information and resource utilization that compound existing regional healthcare inequities.
Key Points
- Black older caregivers use internet and digital health tools at lower rates than White peers
- U.S. South residence correlates with reduced digital health engagement across racial groups
- Digital access gaps limit health information access for populations with higher care demands
Longevity Analysis
Digital health infrastructure now functions as a foundational layer for accessing preventive care, monitoring chronic conditions, and coordinating treatment — all essential to longevity outcomes. When subpopulations face barriers to digital engagement, they lose access to early warning systems and health optimization tools that affect circulation, stress response, hormonal regulation, and detoxification. For older caregivers specifically, reduced digital literacy and access compounds the physiological stress of caregiving itself, narrowing the window for intervention before health deteriorates. Addressing these disparities is not ancillary to longevity work; it determines who can access the information and tools necessary to implement evidence-based health practices.
Original published by SAGE Research on Aging, by Kun Wang, Kedong Ding, MiKayla N. Eason, Yanjun Dong, Olivio J. Clay, Nicole Ruggiano1Department of Social Work, College of Arts and Sciences, 200297The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA2Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, 2546Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA3School of Social Welfare, The State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY, USA4Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, 9968The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA5School of Social Work, 8063University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA.