Baseline and Changes in Internet Use and Incident Depression in Middle-Aged and Older Chinese Adults

Objective Internet use had been correlated with depression previously. But the association between dynamic changes in internet use status and depression remains unclear. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore whether changes in internet use status could affect the risk of depression. Method All the data were from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). We selected wave 3 (2015) and wave 4 (2018) as the baseline and dynamic changes analyses, respectively. 11 335 participants were included. Internet use was assessed by questionnaire, and depression was assessed using the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10). Multivariable logistic regression models were employed to assess the association of internet use status and its dynamic changes with risk of depression. Result After adjusting for potential confounders, baseline internet use was negatively associated with risk of developing depression. After 2-year follow-up, compared with those who didn’t use the internet in either 2015 or 2018 (non-users), people who ever used (OR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.58-0.98) or continuously used the internet (OR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.51-0.82) demonstrated a lower risk of incident depression. Moreover, the risk of the depression significantly declined when the offline individuals commenced using the internet (OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.55-0.79). Conclusion Internet use and initiation of Internet use were associated with reduced risk of developing depression in middle aged and older Chinese adults.