Social Media Use and Psychological and Nutritional Well-Being in Adults Aged 50 Years and Older: A Cross-Sectional...

Although previous studies suggest that social media may influence individuals of different ages, comprehensive and objective research focusing on older adults remains limited. This study aimed to investigate the associations between social media use on the well-being of older adults using objective assessment methods.

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 153 adults aged 50 years and older. Objective social media use was assessed through smartphone screen-time records covering at least the previous 2 weeks, while participants also reported their estimated daily usage durations. Psychological and nutritional well-being were evaluated using validated scales: the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, PHQ-9 for depression, GAD-7 for anxiety, and MNA-SF for nutritional status. Data were analyzed using nonparametric tests, correlation analyses, and multivariable logistic regression.

The mean age of participants was 64.2 years (SD = 9.7), and 43.1% were female. The majority of participants (78.4%) had normal nutritional status, but loneliness (53.6%), depression (62.7%), and anxiety (66.2%) were relatively high. The median daily social media use was 90 min (IQR = 27-178). Older participants spent significantly less time on social media (p < 0.001) and tended to overestimate their daily use compared with objective records (p < 0.001). When participants were categorized into quartiles according to objectively measured daily social-media use, higher income levels were also associated with greater use durations (p < 0.001). No significant associations were observed between (objective or self-reported) social media use and loneliness, depression, anxiety, or nutritional status (all p > 0.05).

While higher income was associated with greater use, social media engagement was not linked to adverse psychological or nutritional outcomes. These findings suggest that social media use was not significantly associated with adverse psychological or nutritional well-being among adults aged 50 years and older.