Digital Information Technology Use, Self-Rated Health, and Depression: Population-Based Analysis of a Survey Study on Older Migrants (Preprint)

Abstract

BACKGROUND Previous studies have found that in general, in older adults, poor health is associated with a lower likelihood of Internet use, but it is not well known how different indicators of health are associated with different types of digital information technology (DIT) use. Moreover, little is known about the relationship between health and the types of DIT use in older ethnic minority and migrant populations. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine the associations of depressive symptoms and self-rated health (SRH) with different dimensions of DIT use in older migrants. METHODS We analyzed data from the Care, Health and Ageing in Russian-speaking Minority (CHARM) study, which is based on a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling Russian-speaking adults aged 50 years and older permanently residing in Finland (N=1082, 57% men, mean age 63.2 years, standard deviation 8.4 years, response rate 36%). Data were collected in 2019 using postal survey. Health was measured by depressive symptoms (CES-D) and SRH. Binary logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the associations between the two health indicators and six outcomes: (1) daily Internet use; (2) smartphone ownership; (3) the use of Internet for messages and calls; (4) social media use; (5) the use of Internet for personal health data; (6) obtaining health information from the Internet. A number of sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors were controlled for. Analyses were performed with weights accounting for the survey design and non-response. RESULTS After adjustment for sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors, depressive symptoms were associated with a higher likelihood of not using Internet daily (OR=2.54, 95% CI: 1.30-4.98). Both depressive symptoms (OR=1.85, 95% CI: 1.04-3.30) and suboptimal SRH (OR=1.77, 95% CI: 1.01-3.06) increased the likelihood of smartphone non-use. Depressive symptoms were additionally associated with a lower likelihood of social media use. CONCLUSIONS Poor self-rated health and depressive symptoms are associated with a lower likelihood of DIT use in older adults. Longitudinal studies are required to determine the directions of these relationships.digital information technology; older adults; migrants; health; depression CLINICALTRIAL NA

Sex Differences in Association of Depression with Self-Rated Health and Awareness of Cardiovascular Preventive Measures

“…Modern research shows that depression and low self-esteem of health are associated with less social involvement and decreased interest in current events, less frequent use of Internet resources and social networks in communication [11]. Meanwhile, in previous works, we have shown that social isolation repeats the trends in affective states in Russia, and is an independent predictor of cardiovascular events [12,13].…”