ICT Use and Healthy Longevity : Empirical Data and Perspectives

With the revolutionary technology advancement and the global population aging, there has been increasing recognition of the importance of the use of information and computer technology (ICT) among older people, and the need for ICT inclusivity to ensure that all older individuals can benefit equally from the modern technology. ICT use is also considered to has the potential to promote healthy longevity by telehealth and health monitoring, social connections, cognitive stimulation, access to information, and lifelong learning, among others.

Although there are growing empirical studies on ICT use at older ages, a good summary and review of the current findings, especially from those of non-Western societies, is largely absent. Based on a wide range of evidence-based analyses and real-world examples  and a more refined scheme of measures, this book presents the most updated findings in the field, conducts analyses from cross-national and multicultural lens, and offers multidisciplinary and comprehensive insights on how individual, cultural, societal, and institutional factors shape ICT use and healthy aging across nations.

The wide scope and the holistic approach of the book makes it a timely and valuable resource for researchers, practitioners, policymakers, healthcare professionals, other stakeholders, and anyone interested in understanding the role of ICT in promoting healthy aging and improving the lives of older adults.

Dr. Kun Wang is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her research, guided by the social determinants of health (SDOH) framework, focuses on digital technology use, cognitive aging, and psychological well-being among older adults, particularly those who are Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC). She has published 31 peer-reviewed articles in top journals such as The Gerontologist and Social Science & Medicine, and has received multiple internal grants to study digital technology use among dementia caregivers in Asian American and African American communities. As an early-stage investigator, Dr. Wang is dedicated to leveraging digital technology to support healthy aging. She is actively expanding interdisciplinary collaborations, building partnerships with racial/ethnic minority communities, and enhancing the real-world impact of her research.

Dr. Hee Yun Lee is a Distinguished University Research Professor and Endowed Chair in Social Work (Health) at The University of Alabama, where she also co-directs the Alabama Center for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence. A behavioral health scientist, she develops and tests technology-driven interventions, such as using AI, virtual reality, web applications, and sensors, to promote health behavior change and reduce disparities in underserved and rural communities. Her work has produced eight web applications, several adopted in clinical and insurance settings. Dr. Lee currently leads six federally funded projects and five pilot studies supported by NIH, NSF, HRSA, and CDC. Her major initiatives include AI-powered digital therapy for dementia caregivers and an Open Knowledge Graph Network to address rural health gaps. She emphasizes community-based participatory research, ensuring programs are co-created with community members and policymakers. Through her HEAL Lab, she mentors a diverse team and advances global health equity with projects in Korea, India, Uganda, and Vietnam. Dr. Lee’s work shapes the future of social work and public health through innovation and collaboration.

Dr. Feng Qiushi, an Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore, holds a Ph.D. from Duke University. His research focuses on aging, health, population studies, and development. He serves as Co-editor of Current Sociology, Associate Editor of Asian Population Studies, Deputy Editor of International Journal of Population Studies, and sits on several editorial boards. His work is supported by the United Nations Population Fund, Singapore’s Ministry of Education (MOE), and the National Medical Research Council. Dr. Feng led the MOE Tier-2 project Lifelong Education for Aging Productively (LEAP) and is principal investigator for the social determinants of health component of SG70, a multidisciplinary aging project at NUS. He is currently launching another MOE Tier-2 initiative, Analyses and Projections of Households and Living Arrangements in Six ASEAN Countries (HOUSEHOLD-ASEAN).

Dr. Danan Gu received his Ph.D. in Demography from Peking University in 2001, following a B.A. in Economics (1986) and an M.A. in Demography (1995) from Fudan University in Shanghai, China. From 1986 to 2001, he served at the Nanjing College for Population Programmes Management. He then held a research position at Duke University in the United States from 2001 to 2008. Since 2009, he has been with the United Nations Population Division in New York. Dr. Gu’s research focuses on the social and environmental determinants of health and longevity, population aging, family demography and its policy applications, urbanization, and methods of population estimation and projection.