Silver surfing good for your health

LONDON: Being a silver surfer won’t just keep you up to date with the younger generation – it could boost your health too.

Older people who used the internet regularly were found to be able to look after their health better, staving off mental decline.

The team at University College London assessed the “health literacy” of almost 4 500 adults in England aged 52 or older – the ability to understand and process basic health details.

They looked at internet use and involvement in civic, leisure, and cultural activities, assessing them in 2004/05 and again in 2010/11. The most important factor governing a decline in health literacy is thought to be dwindling cognitive abilities.

Internet use and engagement in civic, leisure, or cultural activities were lower among those whose health literacy declined.

Lindsay Kobayashi of UCL said: “Internet use and engagement in various social activities appear to help older adults maintain the literacy skills required to self-manage health.” – Daily Mail