Rural–Urban Comparison in Cognitive Health Among Brazilian Older Adults: The Moderating Role of Internet Use

This study investigates how internet use moderates cognitive health disparities between rural and urban older adults in Brazil. It uses data from 9,257 adults aged 50 and above from the second wave of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (2019-2021) and conducts multivariable linear regression analyses. Findings indicate that urban residents had better general cognitive health outcomes than rural residents. A significant interaction effect between internet use and rural-urban residency was observed for general cognitive health. Internet use attenuated rural-urban differences in cognitive functioning. These results suggest that interventions that enable and promote internet use among underserved older adults, particularly those in rural areas, could have significant value in Brazil.