The Purpose of Internet Use and Face-to-Face Communication with Friends and Acquaintances among Older Adults: A JAGES Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Background Whether and what type of internet use increases face-to-face communication (FFC) remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the mode of internet use that increases the FFC among older adults after three years. Methods The participants were 8,734 adults aged 65 years or older who responded to the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES) surveys in 2016 and 2019. The exposures were the seven purposes of internet use in 2016, including communication, information search, and financial services. The outcome was the frequency of FFC with friends or acquaintances, more than once per week in 2019. The confounders included 13 variables, including demographic, socioeconomic, and psychological factors. We performed modified Poisson regression analyses to evaluate the association between the purposes of internet use in 2016 and meeting friends or acquaintances more than once per week in 2019. We also analyzed after stratification by the frequency of meeting friends or acquaintances in 2016. We evaluated the number of meetings with friends and acquaintances in the sensitivity analysis. Results Internet use for communication was associated with an increased probability of meeting friends or acquaintances more than once a week in 2019 (Cumulative Incidence Ratio:1.08; 95% Confidence Interval = [1.01–1.16]; P = .029). This trend was more noticeable if the frequency of meeting friends or acquaintances was less than once per week in 2016. Internet use for communication is also associated with an increased number of meeting friends or acquaintances. Conclusions Internet use for communication in 2016 increased FFC in 2019, especially in the lower frequency of FFC in 2016.