Prevalence of depressive symptoms and associated factors during the COVID-19 pandemic: A national-based study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported that the prevalence of depression and depressive symptoms was significantly higher than that before the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of depressive symptoms and evaluate the importance of influencing factors through Back Propagation Neural Network (BPNN). METHODS: Data were sourced from the psychology and behavior investigation of Chinese residents (PBICR). A total of 21,916 individuals in China were included in the current study. Multiple logistic regression was applied to preliminarily identify potential risk factors for depressive symptoms. BPNN was used to explore the order of contributing factors of depressive symptoms. RESULTS: The prevalence of depressive symptoms among the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic was 57.57 %. The top five important variables were determined based on the BPNN rank of importance: subjective sleep quality (100.00 %), loneliness (77.30 %), subjective well-being (67.90 %), stress (65.00 %), problematic internet use (51.20 %). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of depressive symptoms in the general population was high during the COVID-19 pandemic. The BPNN model established has significant preventive and clinical meaning to identify depressive symptoms lay theoretical foundation for individualized and targeted psychological intervention in the future.

Academic Stress, Procrastination, and Internet Uses Among College Students During the covid-19 Pandemic / Estrés académico, procrastinación y usos del Internet en universitarios durante la pandemia por covid-19 / Estresse acadêmico, procrastinação e uso da Internet em estudantes universitários durante a pandemia de covid-19

La pandemia por covid-19 repercutió en las prácticas educativas y convirtió a las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación ­sobre todo Internet­ en medios indispensables para continuar con las actividades académicas; pero a la par incrementaron el riesgo de que los estudiantes usen mal estas herramientas y con ello aparezcan fenómenos como la procrastinación. Por tanto, el objetivo fue analizar la relación entre el estrés académico, el uso problemático de Internet, la adicción a las redes sociales y la procrastinación académica. Materiales y métodos: estudio cuantitativo, no experimental, de corte transversal. Se utilizó el inventario sisco de estrés académico, el cupo para uso problemático de Internet, la smas-sf de adicción a redes sociales y la Escala de Procrastinación Académica. La muestra la conformaron 448 estudiantes universitarios mexicanos entre los 17 y los 34 años. Resultados: se hallaron diferencias significativas por sexo, en cuanto a las reacciones ante el estrés académico, y en la categoría de la autorregulación, donde los hombres indicaron una baja autorregulación. Por su parte, en la sub-muestra de mujeres se encontró una relación positiva y significativa entre el uso de las redes sociales y la procrastinación académica; mientras que, en los hombres, entre los problemas por el uso de las redes sociales y las reacciones psicológicas ante el estrés. Conclusión: el cambio de modalidad de estudio (de presencial a virtual) ha generado consecuencias en los universitarios, como estrés académico, procras-tinación y usos inadecuados de Internet.

The covid-19 pandemic has affected educational practices, turning the information and communication technologies and the Internet into essential means to continue academic activities while increasing the risk of students misusing these tools, favoring phenomena such as procrastination. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between academic stress, problematic Internet use, social media addiction, and academic procrastination. Materials and methods: In this quantitative, non-experimen-tal, and cross-sectional study, the sisco inventory for academic stress, cupi for problematic Internet use, smas-sf for addiction to social networks, and academic procrastination scale were used. The sample was made up of 448 Mexican university students aged 17­34 years. Results: Significant differences were found by sex in terms of reactions to academic stress and in the category of self-regulation, where men indicated low self-regulation. Moreover, a positive and significant relationship was found between the use of social networks and academic procrastination in women and the problems due to the use of social networks and psychological reactions to stress in men. Conclusion: The change from face-to-face to virtual modality has led to consequences such as academic stress, procrastination, and inappropriate use of the Internet among university students.

a pandemia do covid-19 impactou as práticas educacionais, tornando as Tecnologias da Informação e Comunicação (tic) e principalmente a Internet meios indispensáveis para a continuidade das atividades acadêmicas; mas ao mesmo tempo aumenta o risco de que os alunos façam mau uso dessas ferramentas e com isso apareçam fenômenos como a procrastinação. Portanto, o objetivo do presente estudo foi analisar a relação entre estresse acadêmico, uso problemático da Internet, vício em redes sociais e procrastinação acadêmica. Materiais e métodos: estudo quantitativo, não experimental e transversal. Foram utilizados o Inventário sisco de estresse acadêmico, o cupi para uso problemático da Internet, o smas-sf para vício em redes sociais e a escala de procrastinação acadêmica (epa). A amostra foi composta por 448 estudantes universitários mexicanos com idades entre 17 e 34 anos. Resultados: foram encontradas diferenças significativas em função do sexo nas reações ao estresse acadêmico e na catego-ria de auto-regulamentação, onde os homens indicaram baixa auto-regulamentação. Por outro lado, foi encontrada uma relação positiva e significativa, na subamostra de mulheres, entre o uso de redes sociais e procrastinação acadêmica, enquanto que para os homens houve relação positiva e significativa entre problemas devido ao uso de redes sociais e reações psicológicas ao estresse. Conclusão: a mudança da modalidade presencial para a virtual gerou consequências em universitários como estresse acadêmico, procrastinação e uso inadequado da Internet.

Changes in Internet use patterns among older adults in England from before to after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about an increased reliance on the Internet for various daily activities. Given the known digital divide, it is important to understand whether older adults changed their Internet use patterns, but current evidence is limited to cross-sectional studies. This study documents changes in frequency and types of Internet use among older adults from before to shortly after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic (2018/2019 to June/July 2020), and the factors predicting regular use during these early days of the pandemic. Using data on 6,840 adults aged 50 + from the nationally representative English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, we apply longitudinal fixed-effects models to examine within-individual changes in Internet use behaviour. There was no change in the likelihood of daily Internet use between 2018/2019 and June/July 2020, despite the increased digitalisation of services over the pandemic. Daily use in June/July 2020 was negatively related to age, neighbourhood deprivation, and loneliness, and positively related to partnership status, education, employment, income, and organisation membership. Using the Internet for making calls and getting information about Government services increased, which was important given the social restrictions and overall uncertainty. However, Internet use for finding health-related information decreased. As the world moves towards digital alternatives post-pandemic, it is important to continually ensure older adults are not at risk of exclusion.

Longitudinal relationship between problematic internet use with loneliness during and after COVID-19 social restrictions: Short title: Internet use and loneliness.

Two, three-month long longitudinal studies examined the temporal relationships between problematic internet use (PIU), internet usage, and loneliness ratings, during and after lockdown restrictions. Experiment 1 examined 32, 18-51 year old participants, over a three-month period of lockdown restrictions. Experiment 2 studied 41, 18-51 year old participants, over a three-month period following the lifting of lockdown restrictions. Participants completed the internet addiction test, UCLA loneliness scale, and answered questioned about their online usage, at two time points. All cross-sectional analyses revealed a positive relationship between PIU and loneliness. However, there was no association between online use and loneliness. Longitudinal relationships between PIU and loneliness differed during and after lockdown restrictions. During a period of lockdown, there were both positive associations between earlier PIU and subsequent loneliness, and between earlier loneliness and subsequent PIU. However, following the easing of lockdown restrictions, only the temporal relationship between earlier internet addiction and later loneliness was significant.

Social Isolation Affects the Mimicry Response in the Use of Smartphones : An Ethological Experiment during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Humans are social animals that rely on different ways to interact with each other. The COVID-19 pandemic strongly changed our communication strategies. Because of the importance of direct contact for our species, we predict that immediately after the forced social isolation, people were more prone to engage in direct rather than in virtual interactions, thus showing a lower mimicry response in the use of smartphones. In a non-longitudinal study, we collected behavioral data under naturalistic contexts and directly compared the data of the mimicry response gathered immediately following the Italian lockdown (May-September 2020) with those gathered one year later (May-October 2021). Contrary to our expectations, the mimicry response in the use of smartphones was higher immediately after the lockdown than a year later. Probably the large use of these devices during the lockdown translated into a greater sensitivity to be affected by others' smartphone manipulation. Indeed, social isolation modified, at least in the short term, the ways we interact with others by making us more prone to engage in "virtual" social interactions. The bright side of the coin unveiled by our findings is that the effect seems to diminish over time. The large behavioral dataset analyzed here (1,608 events; 248 people) also revealed that the mimicry response in the use of smartphones was higher between familiar subjects than between strangers. In this view, mimicry in manipulating smartphones can be considered an example of joint action that fosters behavioral synchrony between individuals that, in the long-term, can translate into the formation of social bonding.

Comparison of internet usage and internet addiction scores in healthy children and children with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVES: The Internet, an integral part of modern life, can lead to internet addiction, which negatively affects academic performance, family relationships, and emotional development. This study aimed to evaluate the Internet addiction scores (IAS) during COVID-19 in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) compared with healthy controls. METHODS: Children with T1DM and healthy controls aged 8-18, were evaluated with the Parent-Child Internet Addiction Test (PCIAT20). Internet addiction scores of the participants were assessed. The relationship between diabetes duration, mean HbA1c level and IAS were also examined in children with T1DM. RESULTS: The study included 139 patients with T1DM and 273 controls. The IAS were significantly lower in patients compared with controls (25.28 ± 15.52 vs. 29.69 ± 19.08, p=0.019). There was a weak negative correlation between the duration of diabetes and IAS in children with diabetes (r=-0.21, p=0.021). There was no significant association between IAS and mean HbA1c (r=0.14, p=0.128) or age (r=0.08, p=0.115). Furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference in IAS between children with well-controlled diabetes (n=17) and those with poorly-controlled diabetes (n=122) (IAS: 27.1 ± 17.2; 24.8 ± 15.5, p=0.672, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Internet addiction scores were lower in patients with T1DM compared with their healthy peers. Unlike previous studies reporting an increase in problematic internet use, the results of the present study did not confirm internet use as a real challenge in front of the diabetes management for the majority of children with T1DM. This result may be attributed to the important role played by families in the management of T1DM.

The Mediatory Role of the Boredom and Loneliness Dimensions in the Development of Problematic Internet Use.

In recent years, there has been a gradual digitalization of our society, resulting in intensified technology use for daily life activities, including the emergence of problematic Internet use (PIU). Few studies specifically addressed the boredom and loneliness dimensions in mediating the association between depression, anxiety, and stress levels and the onset of PIU. A nationwide population-based cross-sectional case-control study was carried out by recruiting a sample of Italian young people (aged 18-35). Only 1643 participants were selected for the analyses based on the age and the presence versus absence of PIU. Participants were mainly females (68.7%), with a mean age of 21.8 (SD = 1.7). Non-PIU individuals had significantly stable relationships (p = 0.012), siblings (p = 0.044) and lived with their family (p = 0.010), compared to PIU. PIU individuals displayed significantly higher depression, anxiety, and stress, as well as higher loneliness and boredom levels (all p < 0.001), compared to non-PIU. Depressive symptomatology predicted PIU and that their interaction is positively double mediated by boredom and loneliness (ß = 0.3829 (0.0245), 95%CI = 0.3349-0.4309). Our findings suggested that boredom and loneliness dimensions could act as mediators in the association between depressive symptomatology and the likelihood of PIU onset and maintenance.

The role of social support on the relationships between internet use and sleep problems in adolescents during COVID-19 pandemic: a multicentre study.

BACKGROUND: This study examines the frequency of problematic internet use and sleep problems in adolescents aged 14-18 years during the COVID-19 pandemic and identifies the impact of factors such as sociodemographic characteristics, internet habits, changes in daily life, and perceived social support on these problems. METHODS: This multicentre study was a questionnaire-based online survey study. The questionnaire included the Young Internet Addiction Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, as well as questions about demographic information, internet habits, and changes in daily life during pandemic. Several multivariate Backward logistic regression models were run to determine the variables that predicted problematic internet use and poor sleep quality. RESULTS: It was determined that the frequency of problematic internet use was 15.5%, and the frequency of poor sleep quality was 47.8%. Poor sleep quality was found 2.5 times higher in problematic internet users. The perceived social support was found insufficient in adolescents with problematic internet use and poor sleep quality. Various factors such as the excessive use of internet and social media, low school success, lack of physical activity, lack of rules for internet use at home, and worsening of relationships with parents were found to be predictive factors for these problems. CONCLUSIONS: Problematic internet use during the pandemic is associated with worsening sleep quality in adolescents. It is important to create special interventions for problematic internet use and sleep problems that develop in adolescents as a result of restrictions during the pandemic.

Evaluating a cross-lagged panel model between problematic internet use and psychological distress and cross-level mediation of school administrator support on problematic internet use: The serial mediating role of psychological needs thwarting of online teaching and psychological distress.

Background: To reduce the transmission of COVID-19, many teachers across the globe, including teachers in China, were required to teach online. This shift to online teaching can easily result in psychological need thwarting (PNT) of teachers' psychological basic needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness), leaving them vulnerable to negative psychological outcomes. Resulting negative emotional state may lead to problematic internet use (PIU), which can lead to further psychological distress, forming a vicious cycle. Methods: The present study was conducted using a cross-lagged panel model (with longitudinal data) and hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) (with cross-sectional data). The aims were to investigate (i) the reciprocal relationships between two specific forms of PIU [problematic social media use (PSMU) and problematic gaming (PG)] and psychological distress among schoolteachers, and (ii) the influence of administrators' support on schoolteachers' PIU through a cross-level serial mediation model (PNT of online teaching was the first mediator and psychological distress was the second mediator affected by PNT of online teaching). Primary and secondary schoolteachers (N = 980; mean age = 34.76; 82.90% females) participated in two surveys (Time 1: mid-November 2021; Time 2: early-January 2022). Results: Results indicated that (i) high psychological distress at Time 1 was associated with increased levels of PSMU and PG at Time 2. Inversely, PG at Time 1 was associated with increased psychological distress at Time 2, although PSMU at Time 1 did not have a significant influence on psychological distress at Time 2; (ii) during Time 1, increased administrative support contributed to alleviating teachers' psychological needs thwarting of online teaching, thereby lowering their psychological distress which, in turn, resulted in a decrease in PG. Conclusion: PG had a stronger negative influence on teachers' psychological distress than PSMU. To relieve teachers' PG, administrative support can alleviate teachers' psychological needs thwarting of online teaching and psychological distress. Based on this finding, school managers must consider effective ways to support teachers during mandatory online teaching.

The impact of mobile Internet use on mental distress among Chinese adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the rapid development of digital technology, mobile Internet use is increasing in popularity in China. Previous studies have shown that mobile Internet use has a positive or negative effect on mental distress. Using CFPS2020 data, this paper finds that mobile Internet use significantly alleviates mental distress in Chinese adults. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that mobile Internet use can significantly alleviate mental distress among adults between the ages of 30 and 70, without a bachelor's degree or residing outside the province of Hubei. Furthermore, mobile Internet use significantly reduces mental distress through two mediators: trust and happiness. It also shows that watching short videos or learning online is associated with reduced mental distress, as opposed to online shopping, chatting, or playing games. However, the mental distress of new mobile Internet users in 2020 has not been alleviated. This paper enriches the relevant theoretical research and provides a practical reference for using the mobile Internet to ease mental distress during epidemics.

Problematic Internet Use, Depressive Symptomatology and Suicidal Ideation in University Students During COVID-19 Confinement.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to estimate the rate of PIU in Spanish university students during the lockdown, taking sex and age into account, and to analyze its relationship with depression and suicidal ideation. METHOD: 921 university students (55% women) from 18 to 30 years old (M = 24.8 years; SD = 3) participated. RESULTS: The results showed that 21% of the participants presented PIU, 25.1% moderate depression, 2.1% severe depression, and 6.6% suicidal ideation. The 18 to 21-year-old age group presented the highest rate of PIU (37.8%). A positive correlation was observed between PIU and depression (r = .38; p (241.813) = -8.21; < d = .78) in university students with PIU (M = 9.8; SD = 5.1) than those without it (M = 6.4; SD = 4.1). The rate of severe depression was six times greater (χ2 (3) = 73.25; p < .001) in undergraduates with PIU (6.2%) than those without PIU (0.8%). Moreover, 3.6% of university students with PIU presented suicidal ideation. CONCLUSIONS: These findings establish the association between PIU and depression and suicidal ideation in the university population, providing novel contributions for prevention policies.

Associations of Problematic Internet Use, Weight-Related Self-Stigma, and Nomophobia with Physical Activity: Findings from Mainland China, Taiwan, and Malaysia.

Insufficient physical activity is a common problem for university students because they may engage in sedentary lifestyle owing to excessive time spent on their smartphones and social media use. This may result in problematic internet use (PIU) and nomophobia (fear of not having a mobile phone). Moreover, prior evidence shows that weight-related self-stigma is an important factor contributing to low physical activity. Therefore, the present study examined the associations between PIU, nomophobia, and physical activity among university students across mainland China, Taiwan, and Malaysia. Participants (3135 mainland Chinese, 600 Taiwanese, and 622 Malaysian) completed the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), Smartphone Application-Based Addiction Scale (SABAS), Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMPQ), Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire (WSSQ), and International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF). The measurement invariance of the assessed questionnaires was supported across the three regions. The present findings analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling showed that (i) greater nomophobia was associated with higher levels of physical activity, (ii) greater weight-related self-stigma was associated with higher levels of physical activity, and (iii) greater nomophobia was associated with greater weight-related self-stigma. Although the present findings suggest the possibility that experiencing some level of nomophobia or weight-related self-stigma appears to help improve physical activity, it is not recommended that these be encouraged, but reducing PIU should be targeted as a means to improve physical activity.

Academic Stress, Procrastination, and Internet Uses Among College Students During the covid-19 Pandemic / Estrés académico, procrastinación y usos del Internet en universitarios durante la pandemia por covid-19 / Estresse acadêmico, procrastinação e uso da Internet em estudantes universitários durante a pandemia de covid-19

La pandemia por covid-19 repercutió en las prácticas educativas y convirtió a las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación ­sobre todo Internet­ en medios indispensables para continuar con las actividades académicas; pero a la par incrementaron el riesgo de que los estudiantes usen mal estas herramientas y con ello aparezcan fenómenos como la procrastinación. Por tanto, el objetivo fue analizar la relación entre el estrés académico, el uso problemático de Internet, la adicción a las redes sociales y la procrastinación académica. Materiales y métodos: estudio cuantitativo, no experimental, de corte transversal. Se utilizó el inventario sisco de estrés académico, el cupo para uso problemático de Internet, la smas-sf de adicción a redes sociales y la Escala de Procrastinación Académica. La muestra la conformaron 448 estudiantes universitarios mexicanos entre los 17 y los 34 años. Resultados: se hallaron diferencias significativas por sexo, en cuanto a las reacciones ante el estrés académico, y en la categoría de la autorregulación, donde los hombres indicaron una baja autorregulación. Por su parte, en la sub-muestra de mujeres se encontró una relación positiva y significativa entre el uso de las redes sociales y la procrastinación académica; mientras que, en los hombres, entre los problemas por el uso de las redes sociales y las reacciones psicológicas ante el estrés. Conclusión: el cambio de modalidad de estudio (de presencial a virtual) ha generado consecuencias en los universitarios, como estrés académico, procras-tinación y usos inadecuados de Internet.

The covid-19 pandemic has affected educational practices, turning the information and communication technologies and the Internet into essential means to continue academic activities while increasing the risk of students misusing these tools, favoring phenomena such as procrastination. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between academic stress, problematic Internet use, social media addiction, and academic procrastination. Materials and methods: In this quantitative, non-experimen-tal, and cross-sectional study, the sisco inventory for academic stress, cupi for problematic Internet use, smas-sf for addiction to social networks, and academic procrastination scale were used. The sample was made up of 448 Mexican university students aged 17­34 years. Results: Significant differences were found by sex in terms of reactions to academic stress and in the category of self-regulation, where men indicated low self-regulation. Moreover, a positive and significant relationship was found between the use of social networks and academic procrastination in women and the problems due to the use of social networks and psychological reactions to stress in men. Conclusion: The change from face-to-face to virtual modality has led to consequences such as academic stress, procrastination, and inappropriate use of the Internet among university students.

a pandemia do covid-19 impactou as práticas educacionais, tornando as Tecnologias da Informação e Comunicação (tic) e principalmente a Internet meios indispensáveis para a continuidade das atividades acadêmicas; mas ao mesmo tempo aumenta o risco de que os alunos façam mau uso dessas ferramentas e com isso apareçam fenômenos como a procrastinação. Portanto, o objetivo do presente estudo foi analisar a relação entre estresse acadêmico, uso problemático da Internet, vício em redes sociais e procrastinação acadêmica. Materiais e métodos: estudo quantitativo, não experimental e transversal. Foram utilizados o Inventário sisco de estresse acadêmico, o cupi para uso problemático da Internet, o smas-sf para vício em redes sociais e a escala de procrastinação acadêmica (epa). A amostra foi composta por 448 estudantes universitários mexicanos com idades entre 17 e 34 anos. Resultados: foram encontradas diferenças significativas em função do sexo nas reações ao estresse acadêmico e na catego-ria de auto-regulamentação, onde os homens indicaram baixa auto-regulamentação. Por outro lado, foi encontrada uma relação positiva e significativa, na subamostra de mulheres, entre o uso de redes sociais e procrastinação acadêmica, enquanto que para os homens houve relação positiva e significativa entre problemas devido ao uso de redes sociais e reações psicológicas ao estresse. Conclusão: a mudança da modalidade presencial para a virtual gerou consequências em universitários como estresse acadêmico, procrastinação e uso inadequado da Internet.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Internet Use and the Use of Digital Health Tools: Secondary Analysis of the 2020 Health Information National Trends Survey.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic increased the use of digital tools in health care (eg, patient portal, telemedicine, and web-based scheduling). Studies have shown that older individuals, racial/ethnic minority groups, or populations with lower educational attainment or income have lower rates of using digital health tools. Digitalization of health care may exacerbate already existing access barriers in these populations. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated how use of digital tools to asynchronously communicate with clinicians, schedule appointments, and view medical records changed near the beginning of the pandemic. METHODS: Using 2020 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) data, we examined internet use and 7 digital health technology use outcomes (electronic communication with a provider, electronic appointment scheduling, electronic test result viewing, patient portal access, portal use to download health records, portal use for patient-provider communication, and portal use to view test results). The HINTS surveyors designated surveys received after March 11, 2020, as postpandemic responses. Using weighted logistic regression, we investigated the impact of the pandemic after adjusting for sociodemographic traits (age, race/ethnicity, income, education, and gender), digital access (having ever used the internet and smartphone/tablet ownership), and health-related factors (insurance coverage, caregiver status, having a regular provider, and chronic diseases). To explore differences in changes in outcomes among key sociodemographic groups, we tested for significant interaction terms between the pandemic variable and race/ethnicity, age, income, and educational attainment. RESULTS: There were 3865 respondents (1437 prepandemic and 2428 postpandemic). Of the 8 outcomes investigated, the pandemic was only significantly associated with higher odds (adjusted odds ratio 1.99, 95% CI 1.18-3.35) of using electronic communication with a provider. There were significant interactions between the pandemic variable and 2 key sociodemographic traits. Relative to the lowest income group (

Internet use and physical activity of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study in a northern Japanese City.

BACKGROUND: Little is known of whether Internet use is associated with physical activity among socially isolated older adults during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study investigated the association between Internet use and physical activity, and whether this association differs depending on social isolation among community-dwelling Japanese older adults. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1048 community-dwelling residents aged 65-90 years. Data were obtained using a self-reported questionnaire in August 2020. Physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations between Internet use and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). RESULTS: Internet use showed a significant association with MVPA (OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.06-1.90) after adjusting for age, sex, self-reported socioeconomic status, and other health-related characteristics. When the results were stratified by social participation and living status, Internet use was associated with a significantly higher likelihood of MVPA among participants with no social participation (OR = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.03-3.17) and living with family (OR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.02-1.93). CONCLUSION: Internet use was associated with sufficient physical activity, and this association may differ depending on the social isolation among community-dwelling older adults in Japan.

Effects of COVID-19 on Adolescent Mental Health and Internet Use by Ethnicity and Gender: A Mixed-Method Study.

Evidence suggests that mental health problems in young people have been exacerbated by COVID-19, possibly related to a lack of social connection. Young people report using the internet for connecting with their peers and mental health support. However, how they may have used the internet for support during COVID-19 is not clear. We wanted to know how mood and internet use may have changed in young people during COVID-19 and if this was different for those with and without depression symptoms. 108 adolescents were recruited. Participants with high and low levels of depressive symptomatology answered questions about their mood, internet use, loneliness and life satisfaction during July and August 2020. We found that the high depression group reported significantly more loneliness and less life satisfaction than the low depression group. We found that most young people used the internet for mental health information during COVID-19 but that the high depression group used the internet more for mental health information than the low depression group. The high depression group also had a worsening of mood compared to the low depression group during COVID-19. We found that Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic participants reported increased use of the internet compared to White participants during COVID-19 and that the role of the family facilitated coping during COVID-19 for some adolescents, but for others, it made the lockdown more difficult. Finally, we found that adolescents perceived school anxiety as stressful as COVID-19. To conclude this study supports the use of the internet as a way to help young people with mental health challenges. It also suggests that the internet is a way to help young people from ethnic minorities, who otherwise might be hard to reach, during challenging times. This study also shows that supportive family units can be important during times of stress for young people and that school anxiety is a major issue for young people in today's society even outside of the pandemic.

Internet use and internet-based addictive behaviours during coronavirus pandemic.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The COVID-19 outbreak profoundly influenced human lives on different levels. This narrative review aims to present recent data relating to the COVID-19 pandemic and internet use and internet-based addictive behaviours [problematic Internet use (PIU), Internet addiction, Internet gaming disorder, problem gambling or gambling disorder, social media addiction including smartphone use disorder, problematic pornography use, and compulsive buying]. RECENT FINDINGS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of Internet use and Internet-based addictive behaviours increased in all age groups. The COVID-19 pandemic and related containment measures were been associated with increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression in the general population, especially among children and adolescents, which are the vulnerable groups for the development of mental disorders during the crisis. Furthermore, the fear resulting from the disease, the 'lockdown' measures, high levels of uncertainty regarding the future, and financial insecurity increased levels of loneliness, PIU, and Internet addiction. SUMMARY: Longitudinal researches focused on the negative impacts of Internet use in prolonged stress situations on mental health, vulnerable groups, and quality of life (QoL) are needed to help clinicians and policymakers to reduce adverse consequences. Prevention programs for Internet use and Internet-based addictive behaviours must be customized to meet the needs of children, adolescents, and adults. Also, treatment programs must be tailored to the needs of patients with different Internet-based addictions.

Effect of COVID-19 on Internet Usage of People with Disabilities: A Secondary Data Analysis.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has led our society to lead a life different than before. People, including those with disabilities, have come to rely on information from the Internet. However, there is a lack of empirical studies on the impact of the pandemic on the Internet usage of people with disabilities. To address this gap, this study analyzed data from the 2020 Digital Divide Survey, which comprised data on 7000 non-disabled people and 2200 people with disabilities. This was used to compare the changes in usage of Internet services, and awareness and experience of COVID-19-related non-face-to-face services among non-disabled people and people with physical disabilities, brain lesions, visual impairments, hearing impairments, and language impairments. People with and without disabilities reported increased internet usage, but the increase was significantly higher in the non-disabled population than in people with disabilities (p < 0.05), except for people with language impairments. Specific changes to service usage, experience, and usefulness were different according to the type of disability. The non-disabled population showed a significantly greater increase in the use of social participation services than people with physical disabilities (p < 0.05). The results of this study suggest that digital services need to be developed flexibly to address the unique needs of people with different types of disabilities.

Profiles of Stress and Coping Associated With Mental, Behavioral, and Internet Use Problems Among Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Stratified Random Sampling and Cluster Analysis.

Background: Adolescents are vulnerable to behavioral and mental health problems, which might be further exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explored how participants with different profiles of stressful life events, coping resources (i.e., self-esteem and perceived social support) and coping strategies (i.e., maladaptive and adaptive coping) varied in the prevalence of mental, behavioral, and Internet use problems. Methods: Data were collected from a large and representative sample of Chinese secondary school students in Hong Kong (n = 3,136) from September to November 2020 (48.1% males; mean age = 13.6 years old). Cluster analysis and logistic regression models were used for analysis. Results: The prevalence of suicidal ideation and sleep disturbance was 29.8 and 55.4%, respectively. Behavioral problems were most frequently reported in excessive social media use (53.5%), followed by excessive Internet gaming (43.6%), obesity (34.1%), damaging properties (14.6%), and alcohol or substance abuse (5.1%). The results of cluster analysis yielded three distinctive stress and coping profiles: severe profile (High Risk/Low Protective; 17.0%), moderate profile (Moderate Risk/Moderate Protective; 35.8%), and mild profile (Low Risk/High Protective; 47.2%). Participants with severe and moderate profiles displayed significantly higher levels of mental (range for AOR: 2.08-15.06; all p < 0.001) and behavioral health problems (range for AOR: 1.22-11.22; all p < 0.05) compared to the mild profile cluster. Conclusions: Adolescents' mental and behavioral health may be shaped by a combination of stressful life events and variations in coping resources as well as strategies. Transdiagnostic and multimodal interventions on these factors are warranted to reduce mental, behavioral, and Internet use problems among adolescents.

The Moderating Effects of Disability on Mobile Internet Use Among Older Adults: Population-Based Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: The preferred devices to access the internet are changing from personal computers to mobile devices, and the number of older adults with or without disabilities is rapidly increasing in an aging society. However, little is known about the moderating effects of disability on mobile internet use among older adults. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the levels of mobile internet use and factors associated with this use among older adults according to their disabilities. In addition, moderating effects of disability on mobile internet use were investigated. METHODS: This study consisted of a secondary data analysis using the 2020 Digital Divide Survey conducted in South Korea. The single inclusion criterion was participants being aged 55 years or older; accordingly, 2243 people without disabilities and 1386 people with disabilities were included in the study. Multiple regression analyses considering complex sample designs were conducted to identify mobile internet use factors and to test the moderating effects of disability on mobile internet use. RESULTS: Older adults with disabilities used mobile internet less than older adults without disabilities. However, disability status had moderating effects on the relationships between mobile internet use and (1) operational skills regarding mobile devices (B=0.31, P=.004), (2) internet use skills (B=1.46, P<.001), (3) motivation to use digital devices (B=0.46, P=.01), and (4) attitude toward new technology (B=0.50, P=.002). The results revealed that these positive relationships were stronger among older adults with disabilities than among adults without disabilities. CONCLUSIONS: Although older adults and people with disabilities are considered vulnerable populations regarding technology adoption, disability creates a stronger association between several determinants and actual mobile internet use. Therefore, policy makers and practitioners should pay attention to older adults with disabilities to deliver appropriate information-literacy education. Older adults with disabilities could be the primary beneficiaries of mobile services and new technology.