Association between Internet use and depressive symptoms among older adults in two regions of Myanmar: a cross-sectional study
Abstract Background Internet use has both positive and negative effects on mental health. However, few studies have examined the association between internet use and mental health among older adults in developing countries. This study aimed to investigate the association between Internet use and dep...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2024-02-01
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| Series: | BMC Geriatrics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-024-04729-4 |
| _version_ | 1797273344102367232 |
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| author | Yuri Sasaki Yugo Shobugawa Ikuma Nozaki Daisuke Takagi Yuiko Nagamine Yuki Shirakura Kay Thi Lwin Poe Ei Zin Thae Zarchi Bo Tomofumi Sone Hla Hla Win |
| author_facet | Yuri Sasaki Yugo Shobugawa Ikuma Nozaki Daisuke Takagi Yuiko Nagamine Yuki Shirakura Kay Thi Lwin Poe Ei Zin Thae Zarchi Bo Tomofumi Sone Hla Hla Win |
| author_sort | Yuri Sasaki |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Internet use has both positive and negative effects on mental health. However, few studies have examined the association between internet use and mental health among older adults in developing countries. This study aimed to investigate the association between Internet use and depressive symptoms among older adults in two regions of Myanmar. Methods Data based on a visit to 1,200 older adults in urban and rural Myanmar were obtained through stratified random sampling using the cross-sectional baseline survey of the longitudinal study titled “Healthy and Active Aging in Myanmar.” Our analysis included 1,186 participants. The dependent variable was depressive symptoms, and the 15-item version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) was used as a continuous variable; the higher the score, the more likely a person was to be depressed. Internet use (one of the questions about household property ownership) was used as an independent variable. After confirming the absence of multicollinearity, we adjusted for age, gender, educational background, activities of daily living, residential area, and frequency of meeting friends, and stratified by subjective economic status (above or below average). We also examined the interaction between internet use and subjective economic status. A linear regression analysis was performed. Results Among the 1,186 participants included in the analysis (women: 59.5%; median age: 68 years old), 202 (17.0%) were Internet users (95% Confidential Interval [CI]: 0.15, 0.19), and they had significantly lower GDS scores than the participants who did not use the Internet (B: -1.59, 95% CI: -2.04, -1.13).GDS showed a negative association with Internet use even in the multivariate analysis (B: -0.95, 95% CI: -1.41, -0.50). However, the interaction term for GDS between Internet use and subjective economic status was not significantly associated (B: 0.43, 95% CI: -1.11, 1.98). Conclusions Internet use and depressive symptoms were associated especially among the older adults. However, there were no significant interaction between Internet use and subjective economic status for GDS. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:42:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b200de1442224965b28b10fd17ee8a60 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2318 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:42:00Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Geriatrics |
| spelling | doaj.art-b200de1442224965b28b10fd17ee8a602024-03-05T20:12:10ZengBMCBMC Geriatrics1471-23182024-02-012411910.1186/s12877-024-04729-4Association between Internet use and depressive symptoms among older adults in two regions of Myanmar: a cross-sectional studyYuri Sasaki0Yugo Shobugawa1Ikuma Nozaki2Daisuke Takagi3Yuiko Nagamine4Yuki Shirakura5Kay Thi Lwin6Poe Ei Zin7Thae Zarchi Bo8Tomofumi Sone9Hla Hla Win10Department of Public Health Policy, National Institute of Public HealthNiigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental SciencesNational Center for Global Health and Medicine, Bureau of International Health CooperationDepartment of Health and Social Behavior, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of TokyoDepartment of Global Health Promotion, Tokyo Medical and Dental UniversityNiigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental SciencesDepartment of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Medicine 1Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Medicine 1Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Medicine 1National Institute of Public HealthDepartment of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Medicine 1Abstract Background Internet use has both positive and negative effects on mental health. However, few studies have examined the association between internet use and mental health among older adults in developing countries. This study aimed to investigate the association between Internet use and depressive symptoms among older adults in two regions of Myanmar. Methods Data based on a visit to 1,200 older adults in urban and rural Myanmar were obtained through stratified random sampling using the cross-sectional baseline survey of the longitudinal study titled “Healthy and Active Aging in Myanmar.” Our analysis included 1,186 participants. The dependent variable was depressive symptoms, and the 15-item version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) was used as a continuous variable; the higher the score, the more likely a person was to be depressed. Internet use (one of the questions about household property ownership) was used as an independent variable. After confirming the absence of multicollinearity, we adjusted for age, gender, educational background, activities of daily living, residential area, and frequency of meeting friends, and stratified by subjective economic status (above or below average). We also examined the interaction between internet use and subjective economic status. A linear regression analysis was performed. Results Among the 1,186 participants included in the analysis (women: 59.5%; median age: 68 years old), 202 (17.0%) were Internet users (95% Confidential Interval [CI]: 0.15, 0.19), and they had significantly lower GDS scores than the participants who did not use the Internet (B: -1.59, 95% CI: -2.04, -1.13).GDS showed a negative association with Internet use even in the multivariate analysis (B: -0.95, 95% CI: -1.41, -0.50). However, the interaction term for GDS between Internet use and subjective economic status was not significantly associated (B: 0.43, 95% CI: -1.11, 1.98). Conclusions Internet use and depressive symptoms were associated especially among the older adults. However, there were no significant interaction between Internet use and subjective economic status for GDS.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-024-04729-4Depressive symptomsGeriatric depression scale (GDS)Internet useMyanmarSubjective economic status |
| spellingShingle | Yuri Sasaki Yugo Shobugawa Ikuma Nozaki Daisuke Takagi Yuiko Nagamine Yuki Shirakura Kay Thi Lwin Poe Ei Zin Thae Zarchi Bo Tomofumi Sone Hla Hla Win Association between Internet use and depressive symptoms among older adults in two regions of Myanmar: a cross-sectional study BMC Geriatrics Depressive symptoms Geriatric depression scale (GDS) Internet use Myanmar Subjective economic status |
| title | Association between Internet use and depressive symptoms among older adults in two regions of Myanmar: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Association between Internet use and depressive symptoms among older adults in two regions of Myanmar: a cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Association between Internet use and depressive symptoms among older adults in two regions of Myanmar: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Association between Internet use and depressive symptoms among older adults in two regions of Myanmar: a cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Association between Internet use and depressive symptoms among older adults in two regions of Myanmar: a cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | association between internet use and depressive symptoms among older adults in two regions of myanmar a cross sectional study |
| topic | Depressive symptoms Geriatric depression scale (GDS) Internet use Myanmar Subjective economic status |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-024-04729-4 |
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