Smartphone Use, Digital Addiction and Physical and Mental Health in Community-dwelling Older Adults: a Population-based Survey

This study aims to assess mobile technology use (cell phones and smartphones), level of digital addiction, and the association of these factors with physical, mental and social health and quality of life (QOL) in community-dwelling older adults. A population-based study of a city with a low-income population in Brazil was carried out. Sociodemographics, cognition(MMSE), mental health(DASS-21), QOL(WHOQOL-bref), sleep quality(Pittsburgh Index), instrumental activities of daily living(Lawton), loneliness(UCLA), digital addiction(Internet Addiction Test) and cell phone/smartphone use were investigated. A total of 668 older adults (93.6% of total) were included; 175(26.2%) owned cell phones, 172(25.7%) smartphones and 321(48.1%) no mobile device. Smartphones owners were predominantly younger, white, had higher income, MMSE scores and social support, and were less dependent. However, no group differences were observed for depression, anxiety or stress symptoms, QOL, sleep disturbances or loneliness. Among 172 smartphone users, Structural Equation Models revealed that the degree of digital addiction was correlated with better physical and environmental conditions, in detriment of a poorer sleep quality. Hours of use were not correlated with health outcomes, whereas greater importance of the smartphone in life correlated with less depressive symptoms and lower loneliness. Different from previous studies in adults or adolescents, older adults who were smartphones users had similar health outcomes than those without Internet access. These findings serve to further our understanding on technology use in this age group.

Automated summary

This study aims to assess the use of mobile technology and digital addiction among community-dwelling older adults, and its association with physical, mental and social health and quality of life. The results showed that older adults who owned smartphones had similar health outcomes compared to those without internet access. The importance of smartphones in life was associated with lower depressive symptoms and loneliness.