The impact of internet use on depression among empty nesters:the chain mediating role of activities of daily living and social participation
Objective To investigate the mediating role of Activities of Daily Living(ADL)and social participation in the relationship between internet use and depression among empty nesters,providing references for reducing the risk of depression and improving quality of life in this population.Methods A total of 3 974 empty nesters aged 60 and above from the 2020 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study were selected as the research subjects.The ADL scale and the CESD-10 scale were used to measure the ADL and depression status of the empty nesters,respectively.Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to explore the relationships among internet use,ADL,social participation,and depression among empty nesters.The mediating effects of ADL and social participation in the relationship between internet use and depression were analyzed using Model 6 of the Process 4.1 plugin in SPSS.Results Internet use had a significant direct effect on depression among empty nesters(β=-2.125,95％CI:-2.593 to-1.654).The individual mediating effect of ADL was significant(β=-0.516,95％CI:-0.641 to-0.389),as was the individual mediating effect of social participation(β=-0.159,95％CI:-0.263 to-0.062).The chain mediating effect of ADL and social participation was also significant(β=-0.007,95％CI:-0.011 to-0.002).Conclusion Internet use can directly negatively impact depression among empty nesters,and it can also influence depression through the individual or chain mediating effects of ADL and social participation.Therefore,to reduce the risk of depression among empty nesters,it is essential to increase their internet usage,enhance their ADL levels,and promote their social participation,thereby alleviating their depressive symptoms.
Empty nestersInternetActivities of daily livingSocial participationDepression
NETL
NSTL
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