Internet Access at Home and its Relationship to Well-being in Deprived Areas of London

Boniwell, Ilona; Osin, Evgeny; Renton, Adrian

doi:10.2174/1874350101508010044

Cited by 4 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 38 publications

(49 reference statements)

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“…There were particularly low rates of internet access by those who were older, retired, lacking educational qualifications, and with a long-standing illness or disability, and relatively high rates of home internet use by those with children, those in work or full-time education and non-British citizens. These patterns are similar to those reported previously in a study of deprived areas of London [47], with our finding for non-British citizens echoing the earlier finding that internet access was higher among more recent migrants, perhaps due to the need to keep in contact with relatives abroad in the earlier stages of migration and settlement.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…We observed a number of social gains associated with the use of the internet among our respondents, particularly for those accessing the internet both via a mobile phone and elsewhere, including a higher likelihood of regular contact with relatives, friends and neighbours and a higher likelihood of available financial support (also true for those who only accessed the internet via a mobile phone). The finding on financial support was also reported in deprived communities in London, though the finding on neighbour contact elaborates on the earlier study, which reported that social ties mediated the relationship between internet access and wellbeing, though without separately reporting on neighbour contacts [47]. We did not find any consistent negative associations of internet access with social effects among our participants.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

“…The finding that internet access was associated with wellbeing advantages is important, not least because an earlier study which suggested that internet access was associated with psychological wellbeing moreso in disadvantaged groups called for replication of the finding in a larger study, which we have provided [47]. Furthermore, loneliness has previously been found to be associated with poor mental health, anxiety and depression [70], overeating and alcohol misuse [71], and damage to the cardiovascular system [72].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Worklessness and inactivity are significant issues in deprived communities, along with greater social isolation that goes with a lack of regular involvement in work outside the home. The internet may provide a means to overcome these things by providing ‘information about educational, career and community participation opportunities’ [47]. The fact that many people are on low incomes means that the internet may be valuable in providing a means to purchase goods more cheaply than in shops, and in enabling the maintenance of social relationships and development of social capital at lower cost than regular face-to-face meetings would require [23, 48].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In one of the few studies of internet access and wellbeing in deprived communities, conducted in London [47], internet access at home was associated with higher levels of hope and happiness and lower levels of mental disorder symptoms. Those with internet access were also more socially connected with friends and family (though not neighbours) and reported higher levels of emotional and financial social support, with social connections and social support mediating the relationship between internet access and wellbeing.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Associations of internet access with social integration, wellbeing and physical activity among adults in deprived communities: evidence from a household survey

Kearns

Whitley

2019

BMC Public Health

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Background There are arguments for and against the wellbeing effects of internet use, with evidence shifting from negative to positive over time, although the effects are partly dependent upon the population sub-group concerned. There are good grounds for anticipating that the internet could be beneficial to people living in deprived communities, but this group has rarely been studied. Methods Data are from a cross-sectional, face-to-face survey of adult householders ( n = 3804) in 15 deprived communities in Glasgow, UK. Respondents were asked whether they used the internet and, if so, how they usually accessed it: at home, via a mobile phone, in a public venue, or other means. Data were also collected on social contact and support, use of amenities, sense of community, wellbeing, loneliness, and physical activity. Results There were inequalities in internet access within deprived communities, with use of the internet lowest among older people, those with a long-standing illness, and those with no educational qualifications. Some social benefits were associated with internet access, such as frequency of contact with neighbours, available financial social support, and greater use of social amenities and shops. Internet users were also less likely to report feeling lonely and had higher mental wellbeing scores. Respondents who used the internet were also more physically active. However, community cohesion and empowerment variables were very similar among internet users and non-users. Several of the positive associations with internet access were more marked for those who accessed the internet at home and for older people. These are new findings in respect of deprived communities. Conclusions Extending internet access for people in deprived communities is worthy of further consideration in the context of government objectives for tackling social isolation and increasing wellbeing. The results also suggest that greater digitisation of public services may not result in greater cohesion and empowerment in deprived communities, as is often assumed, but rather has the potential to reinforce social inequalities.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Associations of internet access with social integration, wellbeing and physical activity among adults in deprived communities: evidence from a household survey

Kearns

Whitley

2019

BMC Public Health

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Preference for internet at home in a disadvantaged neighbourhood

Petermann

2024

Urban Studies

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Although most households are equipped with digital information and communication technologies (DICT), a significant digital divide remains in internet access at home along income and digital native/immigrant status. Previous research has mainly investigated whether this digital inequality is attributable to constraints such as technological availability or financial resources. This article examines the extent to which digital inequality of internet access at home is preference-driven by comparing internet preference with other housing preferences and investigating the effect heterogeneity of social status on internet preference. We analyse a dataset comprising 131 residents of a disadvantaged neighbourhood in Bochum, Germany. This neighbourhood provides a suitable setting, as internet access is available throughout the area but varies between individual households. Using a factorial survey with housing vignettes, we assess the importance of internet preference. This research design circumvents many of the difficulties in measuring housing preferences, such as unrealistic wishful thinking, and facilitates the investigation of effect heterogeneity in terms of social status characteristics. The results show that the preference for internet access at home is comparable to that of other housing amenities and does not vary according to age, income or the presence of children. The findings reinforce the importance of the financial constraint-driven causes of the digital divide.

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A decade of research on housing and health: a systematic literature review

Alidoust

Huang

2021

Reviews on Environmental Health

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This paper provides a systematic review of the evidence linking housing and health. This involved a review of 59 peer-reviewed journal papers, that included case studies on the health impacts of housing and were published in English, in the past decade (2010–2020). Our systematic review of the literature suggested most of the research on the health impacts of housing employed quantitative methodology, were conducted in the Global North and were published in Medical and Health Sciences journals. Research findings demonstrated four key areas through which housing impacts health: neighbourhood or context, physical building, housing market and housing policy. This paper provides valuable information to researchers for future research directions on the associations between housing and health and to decision-makers and planners for planning healthy cities.

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Internet Access at Home and its Relationship to Well-being in Deprived Areas of London

Cited by 4 publications

References 38 publications

Associations of internet access with social integration, wellbeing and physical activity among adults in deprived communities: evidence from a household survey

Associations of internet access with social integration, wellbeing and physical activity among adults in deprived communities: evidence from a household survey

Preference for internet at home in a disadvantaged neighbourhood

A decade of research on housing and health: a systematic literature review

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