Impact of Internet usage time on mental health in adolescents: Using the 14th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey 2018

Effects of mobile Internet use on the health of middle-aged and older adults: evidences from China health and retirement longitudinal study

The rapid development of digital technology has radically changed people's lives. Simultaneously, as the population is rapidly aging, academic research is focusing on the use of Internet technology to improve middle-aged and older people's health, particularly owing to the popularity of mobile networks, which has further increased the population's accessibility to the Internet. However, related studies have not yet reached a consensus. Herein, empirical analysis of the influence of mobile Internet use on the subjective health and chronic disease status of individuals in their Middle Ages and above was conducted utilizing ordered logit, propensity score matching (PSM), and ordered probit models with data from the 2020 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. The study aimed to provide a theoretical basis and reference for exploring technological advances to empower the development of a healthy Chinese population and to advance the process of healthy aging. The health of middle-aged and older adults mobile Internet users was greatly improved, according to our findings. Further, the use of mobile Internet by these persons resulted in improvements to both their self-assessed health and the state of their chronic diseases. As per the findings of the heterogeneity analysis, the impact of mobile Internet use was shown to be more pronounced on the well-being of middle-aged persons aged 45-60 years compared to those aged ≥ 60 years. Further, the endogeneity test revealed that the PSM model could better eliminate bias in sample selection. The results suggest that the estimates are more robust after eliminating endogeneity, and that failure to disentangle sample selectivity bias would overestimate not only the facilitating effect of mobile Internet use on the self-assessed health impacts of middle-aged and older adults, but also the ameliorating effect of mobile Internet use on the chronic diseases of middle-aged and older adults. The results of the mechanistic analysis suggest that social engagement is an important mediating mechanism between mobile Internet use and the health of middle-aged and older adults. This implies that mobile Internet use increases opportunities for social participation among middle-aged and older adults, thereby improving their health.

Exploring the determinants of internet addiction among Peri-urban adolescents (aged 13-18) in Delhi-NCR, India: an ordered logit model analysis

OBJECTIVES

In recent years, there has been phenomenal growth in internet usage worldwide, with a substantial proportion of children and adolescents actively engaging with online platforms. While the internet presents numerous opportunities for children and adolescents, the lack of digital literacy and adequate online safety measures exposes them to various cybercrimes, including cyberbullying, cyberstalking, identity theft, and sexual predation. Moreover, there is growing concern regarding internet addiction among this population.

METHODS

To investigate the determinants of internet addiction among adolescents, we conducted a cross-sectional study in peri-urban Delhi-NCR, India. We used a self-administered questionnaire to gather information on internet usage, and 630 adolescents aged 13-18 participated in the study, also completing an Internet Addiction Test.

RESULTS

The findings indicate that 415 adolescents (65.9 %) exhibited no signs of internet addiction, suggesting a healthy relationship with the internet. However, 215 adolescents (33.1 %) displayed symptoms of internet addiction. Among those exhibiting internet addictions, 159 (74.0 %) were classified as mild internet addicts, indicating moderate levels of internet usage. Furthermore, 56 (26.0 %) adolescents were classified as moderate internet addicts, reflecting a higher level of internet addiction.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study highlights the significant influence of various factors, including family dynamics, environmental factors, and personal experiences, on internet addiction among adolescents. Based on these findings, we propose implementing measures at different levels to foster responsible internet use among adolescents, thereby substantially reducing internet addiction.

Effects of internet and smartphone addiction on cognitive control in adolescents and young adults: A systematic review of fMRI studies

BACKGROUND

Internet Addiction (IA) refers to excessive or uncontrolled behaviors related to Internet access, causing impairment or distress. Similarly, Smartphone Addiction (SPA) involves the excessive use of smartphones, disrupting users' daily lives. Cognitive control plays a relevant role in the development of IA and SPA, with executive functions and rewards processing being particularly important.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to provide a synthesis of scientific evidence on the differential effects of IA and SPA on cognition in young adults and adolescents, using fMRI.

METHODS

Relevant articles published between 2013 and May 2023 were identified following the PRISMA protocol.

RESULTS

Included studies (n = 21) revealed that both behavioral addictions were associated with impairments in cognitive control related to reward processing (ACC, insula, amygdala) and executive function (DLPFC, frontal, parietal lobes) in adolescents and young adults.

CONCLUSION

These findings provide evidence for neuroanatomical similarities between IA and SPA in young adults and adolescents related to executive functions and rewards processing. However, differential effects of SPA and IA on cognitive control were not found in this study. Future research should explore the relationship between these addictions with other cognitive domains to further expand our understanding within this field. While both IA and SPA involve the excessive use of online technology, SPA could involve a higher risk, given that smartphones allow internet connectivity anytime.

A Comparison of Changes in Health Behavior, Obesity, and Mental Health of Korean Adolescents Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Online Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVE

The health behavior and mental health problems of adolescents have shown a variety of changes due to the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study compared health behavior, obesity, and mental health among Korean adolescents before and during the early COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

Population-based and cross-sectional data from the 2019 and 2020 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Surveys were used. Data of 57,048 and 54,948 adolescents from the 2019 and 2020 surveys, respectively, were compared. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to compare health behavior, obesity, and mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

RESULTS

The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of overweight, obesity, and body image perceived subjectively as fat, were higher in the 2020 sample compared to the 2019 sample. The aOR of the frequency (more than 3 times a week) of fast-food consumption was higher in 2020 than in 2019. However, the aOR of physical activity, alcohol use, and smoking experience were lower in 2020 than in 2019. In addition, during COVID-19, adolescents were less likely to have perceived severe stress, depressive moods, and suicidal ideation.

CONCLUSION

Current evidence suggests the co-occurrence of positive and negative changes in health behavior, obesity, and mental health among Korean adolescents during the early COVID-19 pandemic. The results contribute insights for monitoring adolescents' health behavior and promoting their mental health during school shutdowns.

Internet use time and mental health among rural adolescents in China: A longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

The digital divide between urban and rural adolescents is widening. Many existing studies have found an association between internet use and adolescent mental health, but few use longitudinal data to focus on rural adolescents. We aimed to identify the causal relationships between internet use time and mental health in Chinese rural adolescents.

METHODS

Using a sample of 3694 participants (aged 10-19) from the 2018-2020 China Family Panel Survey (CFPS). Fixed effects model, mediating effect model and instrumental variables method was used to evaluate the causal relationships between internet use time and mental health.

RESULTS

We find that more time spent on the internet has a significant negative effect on participants' mental health. This negative impact is stronger in female and senior students groups. Mediating effects analysis suggests that more time spent on the internet increase risk of mental health problems by reducing sleep duration and parent-adolescent communication. Further analysis find that online learning and online shopping is associated with higher depression scores, while online entertainment with lower depression scores.

LIMITATIONS

The data do not investigate the specific time spent on internet activities (e.g., learning, shopping, and entertainment), and the long-term impacts of internet use time and mental health have not been tested.

CONCLUSIONS

Internet use time has a significant negative impact on mental health by crowding out sleep duration and parent-adolescent communication. The results provide an empirical reference for the prevention and intervention of mental disorders in adolescents.

Students’ attitude towards health in terms of sociological analysis

Abstract Objective: The article is devoted to the analysis of sociological information about the attitude of students to their health. Methods: A sociological survey among students of Kazan educational institutions of Higher Education was conducted in September-November 2020. Results: The study showed low knowledge of students about the main medical indicators of health, the absence of a healthy lifestyle in the system of value orientations, and lack of confidence in the healthcare system. Conclusion:   The study results on low knowledge of health indicators suggests  that it is necessary to conduct competent educational work on the dissemination of medical knowledge among young people, to examine students more carefully in the course of medical examination, to improve the availability and quality of health services provided to students.

Static and Dynamic Impacts of Internet Use on Self-Rated Health among Adults in China: A Hybrid Model Analysis Based on National Panel Survey Data

The widespread use of the Internet has a substantial impact on people's livelihoods, including health-related factors. Whether this impact is beneficial or harmful to people's health remains unclear. Some cross-sectional studies found static differences in the health status between Internet users and nonusers, whereas panel data studies found dynamic changes in an individuals' health over time, making the issue, including its causality, controversial. Therefore, we aimed to clarify the association between the use of the Internet and people's health from both static and dynamic aspects. Data were obtained for 46,460 adults from the China Family Panel Studies in 2014, 2016, and 2018. The analysis applied a logistic regression hybrid model with self-rated health as the dependent variable and Internet use as the main independent variable. In the hybrid model, time-varying independent variables were decomposed into between-individual (static) differences and within-individual (dynamic) changes over time. The results indicated that the between-individual coefficient of Internet use was significantly positive, but the within-individual coefficient was not, i.e., Internet users felt healthier than nonusers from the static aspect but starting to use the Internet did not increase the self-rated health from the dynamic aspect. These findings suggest that attention is needed in order to not confuse the static differences with dynamic change regarding the causality between Internet use and self-rated health.

Suicide attempt-related emergency department visits among adolescents: a nationwide population-based study in Korea, 2016-2019

BACKGROUND

The incidence of adolescent suicide in Korea is increasing; however, nationwide data regarding short-term prediction of suicide attempts (SAs) is still limited. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the incidence of SA-related annual emergency department (ED) visits among adolescents in Korea from 2016 to 2019 and to summarize the corresponding demographic and clinical characteristics based on the dispositions of SA-related ED visits.

METHODS

Most referral hospitals provide relevant essential ED information to the National Emergency Medical Center through the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS). We analyzed NEDIS data on adolescent visits (aged < 20 years) for a 4-year period from 2016 to 2019. Patients were classified into the discharge and hospitalization groups for comparison, and jointpoint regression analysis was used to identify the years in which there was a change in annual percentage change (APC) in age- and sex-standardized incidence rates of SA-related ED visits. The characteristics of patients in the discharge group and hospitalization group subgroups were also compared.

RESULTS

The APC in the incidence rate of SA-related ED visits in the 4-year study period revealed a 35.61% increase. The incidence rate increase was higher among females (APC: 46.26%) than among males (APC: 17.95%). Moreover, the incidence rate increased faster in mid-adolescence patients (APC: 51.12%) than in late-adolescence patients (APC: 26.98%). The proportion of poisoning as the SA method was 69.7% in the hospitalization group and 34.5% in the discharge group (p < 0.001).

DISCUSSION

Our findings suggest that an increase in the number of SA-related ED visits among female and mid-adolescent patients represented the largest increase in SA-related ED visits from 2016 to 2019. Accordingly, evidence-based suicide prevention programs need to be customized based on sex and age, and further diversification of health care systems is needed through analysis of the characteristics of the dispositions of SA-related ED visits.