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Table 4 Prospective associations between computer exposure at baseline and mental health outcomes (new cases) at 1-year follow-up

From: Computer use and stress, sleep disturbances, and symptoms of depression among young adults – a prospective cohort study

  

Current stress

Sleep disturbances

Symptoms of depression (two items)

Reduced performance

 

n

Cases (%)

PR

95% CI

n

Cases (%)

PR

95% CI

n

Cases (%)

PR

95% CI

n

Cases (%)

PR

95% CI

Computer use (CU)

                

Men

High

440

43 (10)

1.0

0.60–1.55

398

70 (18)

1.8

1.14–2.78

173

31 (18)

1.1

0.63–2.04

400

35 (9)

2.0

1.01–3.98

 

Medium

409

42 (10)

1.0

0.66–1.63

373

65 (17)

1.8

1.17–2.79

187

30 (16)

1.1

0.60–1.93

388

20 (5)

1.2

0.61–2.49

 

Low

289

28 (10)

1.0

 

263

25 (10)

1.0

 

136

17 (12)

1.0

 

279

12 (4)

1.0

 

Women

High

463

92 (20)

1.1

0.87–1.42

428

101 (24)

1.2

0.95–1.52

152

39 (26)

1.2

0.85–1.77

468

64 (14)

1.1

0.79–1.48

 

Medium

617

117 (19)

1.0

0.81–1.29

566

94 (17)

0.8

0.65–1.06

241

64 (27)

1.2

0.90–1.70

573

84 (15)

1.1

0.82–1.48

 

Low

655

122 (19)

1.0

 

600

128 (21)

1.0

 

246

56 (23)

1.0

 

586

75 (13)

1.0

 

Email/chat use

                

Men

High

116

6 (5)

0.4

0.18–0.95

98

27 (28)

1.9

1.29–2.77

38

4 (11)

100

6 (6)

0.9

0.41–1.99

 

Medium

215

20 (9)

0.8

0.52–1.31

197

31 (16)

1.1

0.77–1.63

86

13 (15)

0.9

0.50–1.51

210

16 (8)

1.3

0.73–2.25

 

Low

807

88 (11)

1.0

 

740

102 (14)

1.0

 

373

61 (16)

1.0

 

757

45 (6)

1.0

 

Women

High

136

37 (27)

1.7

1.23–2.25

118

35 (30)

1.7

1.23–2.24

26

8 (31)

1.4

0.74–2.50

129

21 (16)

1.3

0.84–1.94

 

Medium

348

80 (23)

1.4

1.11–1.76

325

73 (22)

1.3

1.01–1.62

133

38 (29)

1.2

0.89–1.68

329

51 (16)

1.2

0.88–1.60

 

Low

1248

212 (17)

1.0

 

1149

212 18)

1.0

 

477

111 (23)

1.0

 

1167

150 (13)

1.0

 

Computer gaming

                

Men

High

136

13 (10)

0.9

0.51–1.53

107

20 (19)

1.2

0.73–1.80

43

9 (21)

1.1

0.58–1.98

108

5 (5)

0.7

0.28–1.67

 

Medium

176

17 (10)

0.9

0.55–1.50

156

25 (16)

1.0

0.70–1.55

73

7 (10)

0.6

0.29–1.24

161

9 (6)

0.8

0.37–1.61

 

Low

826

83 (10)

1.0

 

771

115 (15)

1.0

 

380

62 (16)

1.0

 

798

53 (7)

1.0

 

Women

High

29

7 (24)

1.3

0.67–2.47

29

7 (24)

1.0

0.52–2.08

10

2 (20)

26

2 (8)

 

Medium

76

15 (20)

1.0

0.65–1.63

59

17 (29)

1.4

0.92–2.09

25

11 (44)

1.9

1.17–3.03

64

7 (11)

0.8

0.39–1.61

 

Low

1631

309 (19)

1.0

 

1509

299 (20)

1.0

 

605

146 (24)

1.0

 

1538

213 (14)

1.0

 

CU without breaks

                

Men

High

280

25 (9)

0.9

0.58–1.51

250

42 (17)

1.4

0.92–2.09

100

16 (16)

0.8

0.46–1.42

253

20 (8)

1.9

0.98–3.61

 

Medium

454

50 (11)

1.2

0.76–1.78

418

74 (18)

1.5

1.05–2.16

202

29 (14)

0.8

0.50–1.30

438

30 (7)

1.6

0.90–3.03

 

Low

404

38 (9)

1.0

 

366

43 (12)

1.0

 

194

32 (16)

1.0

 

377

16 (4)

1.0

 

Women

High

189

49 (26)

1.6

1.24–2.18

190

55 (29)

1.7

1.31–2.23

62

21 (34)

1.8

1.20–2.63

180

24 (13)

1.1

0.76–1.74

 

Medium

588

121 (21)

1.2

1.01–1.54

558

120 (22)

1.3

1.06–1.63

208

62 (30)

1.6

1.16–2.09

586

94 (16)

1.3

1.01–1.69

 

Low

958

161 (17)

1.0

 

846

147 (17)

1.0

 

369

76 (21)

1.0

 

863

105 (12)

1.0

 

CU causing lost sleep

                

Men

High

174

27 (16)

1.8

1.17–2.70

146

38 (26)

2.0

1.42–2.87

53

9 (17)

1.0

0.54–2.02

155

14 (9)

2.1

1.15–3.98

 

Medium

243

25 (10)

1.2

0.77–1.86

230

39 (17)

1.4

0.96–1.94

104

20 (19)

1.3

0.78–2.05

239

25 (10)

2.5

1.44–4.24

 

Low

722

62 (9)

1.0

 

659

83 (13)

1.0

 

340

49 (14)

1.0

 

674

28 (4)

1.0

 

Women

High

123

35 (28)

1.7

1.27–2.32

106

29 (27)

1.5

1.07–2.08

32

10 (31)

1.5

0.85–2.50

108

19 (18)

1.4

0.92–2.20

 

Medium

214

55 (26)

1.5

1.17–1.94

221

55 (25)

1.4

1.06–1.78

78

31 (40)

1.9

1.38–2.62

212

41 (19)

1.6

1.14–2.13

 

Low

1400

242 (17)

1.0

 

1270

239 (19)

1.0

 

529

118 (22)

1.0

 

1308

163 (12)

1.0

 
  1. Participants who reported symptoms at baseline were excluded from analysis of the mental health outcome concerned. The study group n was: for Current stress: 1224 men and 1915 women; for Sleep disturbances: 1109 men and 1764 women; for Symptoms of depression (one item): 617 men and 791 women, for Symptoms of depression (two items): 535 men and 693 women; and for Reduced performance: 1145 men and 1802 women. Missing values (non-responses to items) were excluded from the analyses, which means that the n varied further in the analyses. The prevalence of mental health symptoms (cases and %) at 1-year follow-up in each exposure category is shown. The prevalence ratios (PRs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were adjusted for relationship status, educational level, and occupation. PRs with a CI not including 1.00 (before rounding) are given in bold. Results of analyses with fewer than five cases are not presented, indicated as “…”.