Associations of internet access with social integration, wellbeing and physical activity among adults in deprived communities: evidence from a household survey

Abstract

Background There are arguments for and against the wellbeing effects of internet use, with evidence shifting from negative to positive over time, although the effects are partly dependent upon the population sub-group concerned. There are good grounds for anticipating that the internet could be beneficial to people living in deprived communities, but this group has rarely been studied. Methods Data are from a cross-sectional, face-to-face survey of adult householders ( n = 3804) in 15 deprived communities in Glasgow, UK. Respondents were asked whether they used the internet and, if so, how they usually accessed it: at home, via a mobile phone, in a public venue, or other means. Data were also collected on social contact and support, use of amenities, sense of community, wellbeing, loneliness, and physical activity. Results There were inequalities in internet access within deprived communities, with use of the internet lowest among older people, those with a long-standing illness, and those with no educational qualifications. Some social benefits were associated with internet access, such as frequency of contact with neighbours, available financial social support, and greater use of social amenities and shops. Internet users were also less likely to report feeling lonely and had higher mental wellbeing scores. Respondents who used the internet were also more physically active. However, community cohesion and empowerment variables were very similar among internet users and non-users. Several of the positive associations with internet access were more marked for those who accessed the internet at home and for older people. These are new findings in respect of deprived communities. Conclusions Extending internet access for people in deprived communities is worthy of further consideration in the context of government objectives for tackling social isolation and increasing wellbeing. The results also suggest that greater digitisation of public services may not result in greater cohesion and empowerment in deprived communities, as is often assumed, but rather has the potential to reinforce social inequalities.

Practical Recommendations for Maintaining Active Lifestyle during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Literature Review

“…Therefore, connection to the internet is essential, which should be established in all communities. The government task is to prioritize internet telecommunications, thus preventing isolation and improving wellbeing [33]. To overcome barriers of conducting PA, the benefits of exercise should be explained.…”

Sociodemographic and Psychological Risk Factors for Anxiety and Depression: Findings from the Covid-19 Health and Adherence Research in Scotland on Mental Health (CHARIS-MH) Cross-sectional Survey

“…A serial weekly nationally representative cross-sectional observational study aiming to recruit approximately 500 randomly selected adults in Scotland in the first 2 weeks of June 2020. The survey was administered by telephone in order to minimise the exclusion of people in deprived communities and in particular older people, and those with no or few educational qualifications, including those with poor health literacy [ 41 ]. Further, the telephone method is important in studies about mental health given that there is some evidence to suggest that Internet users in deprived areas are less likely to report feeling lonely and have higher mental well-being scores [ 41 ].…”

“…The study is likely to make a unique contribution to the emerging body of international work about mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic as follows: (1) it draws on theorised social and psychological constructs (loneliness and social support, threat perception and illness representation) to understand mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic and is relatively novel by the inclusion of illness representations. Use of these higher-order constructs means that the study is able to go beyond describing the state of mental health at population level by providing theorised explanations for the observed variations in mental health, (2) it is one of the few studies that includes a measure of socioeconomic area deprivation (alongside age and gender) which is a crucial factor for understanding population level variations in mental health [ 40 ], (3) it assesses mental health and potentially modifiable social and psychological risk factors at a critical period in the Covid-19 crisis, which is just when lockdown restrictions were being lifted, (4) it is a nationally representative survey in Scotland and one of the few studies that administers the survey by telephone rather than the web and therefore minimises the exclusion of people in deprived communities and in particular older people, and those with no educational qualifications, including those with poor literacy [ 41 ]. The results of the study can be used by governments to target interventions at those groups of the population with worse mental health and moreover, address through intervention those social and psychological factors that are likely to exacerbate mental health problems during the current and future pandemics.…”

Associations between Feelings of Loneliness and Attitudes towards Physical Education in Contemporary Adolescents According to Sex, and Physical Activity Engagement

“…Another of the factors to cause negative effects, specifically in provoking feelings of relational loneliness and particularly amongst children, is excessive screen use [ 4 , 57 ]. Nonetheless, screen time can also be considered as a positive tool and necessary for the psychological and social wellbeing of disadvantaged populations [ 58 ]. This is even the case in emergency situations such as that currently being lived in with the new Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).…”