Chronic disease prevention and control is a major challenge for China's population health.Tradi-tional health assessment systems rely mainly on periodic institutionalized examinations,which are inconve-nient and cannot achieve continuous monitoring.Smart wearable devices,as a new type of health technology product,can provide more convenient and efficient health monitoring services.However,the impact of these devices on health outcomes is still lacking sufficient empirical research.This paper uses a nationally repre-sentative large-sample micro-survey data of the elderly to evaluate the impact of smart bracelets on the health of China's elderly for the first time by using a two-way fixed effects model.The results show that the elderly who use smart bracelets have significant improvements in several key health indicators,such as self-rated health,depression risk,social adaptation ability,and life satisfaction.The robustness tests using instrumental variable method and examining objective health indicators confirm the reliability of the causal relationship.The mechanism analysis shows that smart bracelets can play a role through daily life risk prevention,health monitoring and screening for chronic diseases,stimulating positive health behaviors,and strengthening social support and norms.The heterogeneity analysis finds that rural elderly and those with lower education levels can obtain greater health benefits,indicating that smart wearable devices have the potential to promote health equity.The health expenditure analysis shows that smart bracelets can generate key health benefits by increasing early diagnosis and treatment inputs,and curb medical expenditure growth and reduce care dependence over time.Therefore,smart bracelets show immediate and lasting medi-cal economic benefits.In addition,this paper also finds that there is a positive synergistic effect between the health application of smart bracelets and the national medical care integration policy,providing support for the policy at the micro level.This study provides reliable empirical support for the effect and mechanism of smart bracelets and other emerging smart wearable devices on improving the health level of China's elderly,and provides scientific basis for promoting smart aging.
Smart WearableElderly HealthSmart BraceletSmart Elderly Care
NETL
NSTL
万方数据
