{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,11,3]],"date-time":"2026-11-03T15:15:41Z","timestamp":1793718941071,"version":"4.6.1"},"reference-count":56,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,15]],"date-time":"2025-01-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1736899200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Differences exist in the rate of aging between individuals residing in urban and rural areas in China, with rural areas experiencing a more pronounced impact. Smart aging represents a prevalent future trend in this regard, though its development will inevitably face challenges. However, studies focusing on rural areas are scarce. Future models of aging in less developed regions, including rural areas and townships, are expected to integrate and draw inspiration from the smart aging paradigm.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We present a systematic review of the current application of digital technologies in caring for older people in rural areas. We conducted extracted and screened 26 articles out of 823, sourced from five databases: Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, Engineering Village, PubMed\/MEDLINE and CNKI.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The articles focus on digital technologies that cater to the daily life, medical care, spiritual comfort, and cultural entertainment needs of rural older people. In our review, we focused on four aspects of digital technology: mobile applications (apps), websites and platforms, mobile devices and terminals, and VR technologies or other unspecified technologies.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We found that current digital technologies for smart aging have room for improvement in meeting the recreational and mental comfort needs of older adults. Digital technologies are predominantly applied to the smart community\/rural and smart healthcare sectors, with limited applications in the smart home sector. Future studies should explore smart-home older adults care services to address digital cognitive barriers faced by older adults.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2024.1416968","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,15]],"date-time":"2025-01-15T09:49:39Z","timestamp":1736934579000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":21,"title":["Digital technologies as solutions to China\u2019s aging population: a systematic review of their opportunities and challenges in rural development"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Yue","family":"Ming","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yimin","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yun","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"587","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1254405","article-title":"Economic and social implications of aging societies","volume":"346","author":"Harper","year":"2014","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"107","DOI":"10.5582\/bst.2022.01068","article-title":"Current state of care for the elderly in China in the context of an aging population","volume":"16","author":"Bao","year":"2022","journal-title":"BST"},{"key":"ref3","year":"2023"},{"key":"ref4","first-page":"246","volume-title":"World report on ageing and health","year":"2015"},{"key":"ref5","year":"2018"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"104788","DOI":"10.1016\/j.landusepol.2020.104788","article-title":"Rural revitalization in China: land-use optimization through the practice of place-making","volume":"97","author":"Huang","year":"2020","journal-title":"Land Use Policy"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"15631","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph192315631","article-title":"Spatial-temporal patterns of population aging in rural China","volume":"19","author":"Chen","year":"2022","journal-title":"IJERPH"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"318","DOI":"10.1186\/s12877-020-01737-y","article-title":"Smart home for elderly care: development and challenges in China","volume":"20","author":"Zhang","year":"2020","journal-title":"BMC Geriatr"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"178","DOI":"10.3390\/su15010178","article-title":"Smart elderly Care Services in China: challenges, Progress, and policy development","volume":"15","author":"Hung","year":"2022","journal-title":"Sustain For"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1346963","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2024.1346963","article-title":"Smart homes: pioneering age-friendly environments in China for enhanced health and quality of life","volume":"12","author":"Shafei","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"373","DOI":"10.1111\/jrh.12546","article-title":"Exploration of the effects of rural obstetric unit closures on birth outcomes in North Carolina","volume":"37","author":"Sullivan","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Rural Health"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e11335","DOI":"10.2196\/11335","article-title":"Impact of a wearable device-based walking programs in rural older adults on physical activity and health outcomes: cohort study","volume":"6","author":"Jang","year":"2018","journal-title":"JMIR Mhealth Uhealth"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"90","DOI":"10.16582\/j.cnki.dzzw.2023.09.008","article-title":"Comparative analysis of domestic and international research on smart elderly: topic selection, theoretical differentiation and methodological orientation","volume":"9","author":"Liu","year":"2023","journal-title":"E-Government"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e1000097","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pmed.1000097","article-title":"The PRISMA group. Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and Meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement","volume":"6","author":"Moher","year":"2009","journal-title":"PLoS Med"},{"key":"ref15","first-page":"1","article-title":"Construction of smart pension system for urban and rural residents based on big data mining algorithm","volume-title":"2023 international conference on distributed computing and electrical circuits and electronics (ICDCECE)","author":"Zhao","year":"2023"},{"key":"ref16","volume-title":"Research on rural intelligent home nursing service model-taking Qingshui County in Gansu Province as an example","author":"Ruifang","year":"2018"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1109\/UV50937.2020.9426202","article-title":"Rural smart elderly care model: China\u2019s development and challenges","volume-title":"2020 5th international conference on Universal Village (UV)","author":"Hu","year":"2020"},{"key":"ref18","volume-title":"Research on the problems and countermeasures of \u201chollow\u201d village endowment insurance ---take Zhoushan as an example","author":"Xiangxin","year":"2018"},{"key":"ref19","volume-title":"Research on the Design of Future Retirement Communities in villages from the perspective of urban-rural integration","author":"Yujing","year":"2023"},{"key":"ref20","first-page":"94","article-title":"Research on the application of smart elderly products in China\u2019s rural home care","volume":"13","author":"Lichun","year":"2018","journal-title":"Chinese Foreign Entrepreneurs"},{"key":"ref21","volume-title":"Study on rural ageing construction under the background of seasonal migration and pension \u2014\u2014Take Wuzhishan, Hainan Province as an example","author":"Yiwei","year":"2018"},{"key":"ref22","first-page":"133","article-title":"Research on Zizhou County\u2019s medical and nutritional integration intelligent elderly care model in the context of healthy China","volume":"44","author":"Lingli","year":"2023","journal-title":"South-Central Agricul Sci Technol"},{"key":"ref23","volume-title":"Research on the construction of high-quality service system for rural intelligent elderly care in S County, JiangSu Province","author":"Juxian","year":"2023"},{"key":"ref24","volume-title":"Research on the improvement of home-based smart elderly Care Services in Fuping County","author":"Huanhuan","year":"2022"},{"key":"ref25","volume-title":"Research on the difficulties and countermeasures of carrying out intelligent home-based elderly care service in rural urbanization community \u2014\u2014Take Zhangjiakou e rural community as an example","author":"Kefeng","year":"2021"},{"key":"ref26","volume-title":"Feasibility study on the development of rural shared pension mode under the situation of \u201cseparation of three rights.\u201d","author":"Yanyan","year":"2020"},{"key":"ref27","volume-title":"Research on the service model of smart elderly Care in Rural Areas \u2014\u2014Based on the investigation of two villages in South Shanxi","author":"Weiwei","year":"2020"},{"key":"ref28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"71","DOI":"10.1007\/978-981-19-3632-6_10","article-title":"New rural intelligent pension model based on big data technology","volume-title":"The 2021 international conference on smart technologies and Systems for Internet of things","author":"Xiao","year":"2023"},{"key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1155\/2022\/3985519","article-title":"Algorithm model Design of the Aging Transformation Scheme of computer intelligent aided technology under the background of rural revitalization","volume":"2022","author":"Pan","year":"2022","journal-title":"Security Commun Networks"},{"key":"ref30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"477","DOI":"10.1109\/ICNISC54316.2021.00091","article-title":"Development of elderly care industry in urban-rural areas in the perspective of \u201cinternet plus","volume-title":"2021 7th annual international conference on network and information Systems for Computers (ICNISC)","author":"Zhou","year":"2021"},{"key":"ref31","volume-title":"A case study on the governance of the rural concentrated settlement area of Dongyue Huayuan in Dayi County","author":"Qian","year":"2021"},{"key":"ref32","first-page":"A06","article-title":"Here\u2019s how the picture of the digital countryside unfolds","author":"Jie","year":"2021","journal-title":"China Securities J"},{"key":"ref33","volume-title":"Research on indoor environment construction methods in cold areas based on the health needs of the elderly","author":"Rui","year":"2023"},{"key":"ref34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"85","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-319-48335-1_9","article-title":"Internet hospital: challenges and opportunities in China","volume-title":"Health information science","author":"Xu","year":"2016"},{"key":"ref35","volume-title":"Research on the suitable ageing reform of Xiangxi rural residence under the model of home-based Care for the Aged","author":"Yuechi","year":"2021"},{"key":"ref36","first-page":"258","volume-title":"Smart medical APP Design for Rural Empty Nest Elderly by general practitioners","author":"Yan","year":"2019"},{"key":"ref37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e31662","DOI":"10.1097\/MD.0000000000031662","article-title":"Application of family-involved smart medication management system in rural-dwelling middle-aged and older adult participants with chronic diseases: management of chronic diseases in rural areas","volume":"101","author":"He","year":"2022","journal-title":"Medicine"},{"key":"ref38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"560","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-319-92034-4_42","article-title":"The comparative study of emotional interaction Design of Empty Nesters in urban and rural areas in China","volume-title":"Human aspects of IT for the aged population. Acceptance, communication and participation","author":"Xu","year":"2018"},{"key":"ref39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"100547","DOI":"10.1016\/j.lanwpc.2022.100547","article-title":"The development of smart eldercare in China","volume":"35","author":"Chen","year":"2023","journal-title":"Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific"},{"key":"ref40","volume-title":"Research on community home Care Services for the Rural Areas in Zhoushan from the perspective of pluralistic co-governance","author":"Zijie","year":"2021"},{"key":"ref41","volume-title":"The research Design of the Pension Scheme in the intelligence community","author":"Caiwei","year":"2018"},{"key":"ref42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"130","DOI":"10.14088\/j.cnki.issn0439-8114.2019.19.027","article-title":"An initial exploration of smart elderly care models in rural areas","volume":"58","author":"Yumiao","year":"2019","journal-title":"Hubei Agricul Sci"},{"key":"ref43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1201\/9781420080681","volume-title":"Designing for older adults: Principles and creative human factors approaches","author":"Fisk","year":"2018"},{"key":"ref44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"265","DOI":"10.1007\/s10209-020-00733-8","article-title":"An insight into smartphone-based assistive solutions for visually impaired and blind people: issues, challenges and opportunities","volume":"20","author":"Khan","year":"2021","journal-title":"Univ Access Inf Soc"},{"key":"ref45","first-page":"22","article-title":"Smart governance communities: exploring and prospects for smart communities","volume":"4","author":"Yongmao","year":"2023","journal-title":"Popular Tribune"},{"key":"ref46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"265","DOI":"10.1097\/CIN.0000000000000685","article-title":"Status and influential factors of intelligent healthcare in nursing homes in China","volume":"39","author":"Meng","year":"2021","journal-title":"CIN: Computers, Info, Nurs"},{"key":"ref47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2496","DOI":"10.3390\/s17112496","article-title":"Smart homes for elderly healthcare\u2014recent advances and research challenges","volume":"17","author":"Majumder","year":"2017","journal-title":"Sensors"},{"key":"ref48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"6542","DOI":"10.3390\/su15086542","article-title":"Smart home technologies to facilitate ageing-in-place: professionals perception","volume":"15","author":"Oladinrin","year":"2023","journal-title":"Sustain For"},{"key":"ref49","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"302","DOI":"10.1093\/ce\/zkab010","article-title":"Smart homes: potentials and challenges","volume":"5","author":"El-Azab","year":"2021","journal-title":"Clean Energy"},{"key":"ref50","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"90","DOI":"10.1016\/j.maturitas.2009.07.014","article-title":"Smart homes \u2014 current features and future perspectives","volume":"64","author":"Chan","year":"2009","journal-title":"Maturitas"},{"key":"ref51","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"43","DOI":"10.16582\/j.cnki.dzzw.2023.02.004","article-title":"The practical logic and optimization path of technology-enabled smart elderly services--taking Shanghai as an example","volume":"2","author":"Lingyi","year":"2023","journal-title":"E-Government"},{"key":"ref52","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"389","DOI":"10.1016\/B978-0-12-411469-2.00020-0","article-title":"Technology, gaming, and social networking","volume-title":"Handbook of the psychology of aging","author":"Charness","year":"2016"},{"key":"ref53","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"235","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijmedinf.2014.01.004","article-title":"Factors influencing acceptance of technology for aging in place: a systematic review","volume":"83","author":"Peek","year":"2014","journal-title":"Int J Med Inform"},{"key":"ref54","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"49","DOI":"10.3390\/healthcare7010049","article-title":"A review of age friendly virtual assistive technologies and their effect on daily living for Carers and dependent adults","volume":"7","author":"Marston","year":"2019","journal-title":"Health"},{"key":"ref55","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e40192","DOI":"10.2196\/40192","article-title":"Digital engagement of older adults: scoping review","volume":"24","author":"Kebede","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Med Internet Res"},{"key":"ref56","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e43542","DOI":"10.2196\/43542","article-title":"Digital Technologies for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in older people: scoping review","volume":"25","author":"De Santis","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Med Internet Res"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Public Health"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2024.1416968\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,15]],"date-time":"2025-01-15T09:49:56Z","timestamp":1736934596000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2024.1416968\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,15]]},"references-count":56,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpubh.2024.1416968"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpubh.2024.1416968","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-2565"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-2565","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,15]]},"article-number":"1416968"}}