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Data combine Healthy Aging Data Reports with BRFSS-based internet use (2018–2022), American Community Survey estimates of living alone (2018–2022), and depression diagnoses from CMS data (2020–2021). Depression prevalence ranged from 21.90% to 54.46%, and internet use from 40.83% to 88.95%. Regression analyses showed a significant negative association overall and only among communities with higher-than-average proportions living alone, suggesting internet use may help reduce depression where social isolation is greatest.",{"@graph":69,"@context":126},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":35,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/the-association-of-community-rates-of-internet-use-depression-and-living-alone-in-massachusetts-abstract/423979/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/the-association-of-community-rates-of-internet-use-depression-and-living-alone-in-massachusetts-abstract/423979.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Bintang","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-30","2026-09-28",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":34},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118,122],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What does the study investigate in Massachusetts communities?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"It examines the relationship between community rates of internet use, depression, and the proportion of older adults living alone.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"Which datasets were used to measure internet use and depression?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Internet use came from BRFSS data (2018–2022), living alone proportions from the American Community Survey (2018–2022), and depression diagnoses from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data (2020–2021).",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"How are internet use and depression related in the study’s regression results?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"Community internet use shows a significant negative association with depression among older adults, and this remains significant after adjusting for gender distribution and educational attainment.",{"name":123,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":124},"Does the association differ by levels of older adults living alone?",{"text":125,"@type":113},"Yes. The relationship is significant only in communities with a higher-than-average proportion of older adults living alone and not in communities with lower proportions.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":128,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":130,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":132,"site_id":62},423979,1791405288,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":135},{"doc_id":132,"user_id":136,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":137,"doc_module":4,"category_id":34,"category_name":35,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":138,"file_id":139,"file_url":140,"file_type":141,"file_size":142,"view_count":34,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":14,"language":143,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":144,"faqs":145,"seo_title":146,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":147,"read_time":24,"preview_page_count":4},962085564381,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8","800 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2  \nAbstract citation ID: igaf122.2716  \nTHE ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY RATES OF INTERNET USE, DEPRESSION, AND LIVING ALONE IN MASSACHUSETTS  \nMengshi Liu, Dongfang Hong, Michelle Ward, Qinglin Gao, and Elizabeth Dugan, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, United States  \nThe negative health consequences of social isolation are increasingly recognized, and internet use is often cited as a potential intervention to enhance social connectivity, particularly for at-risk older adults. This study examines the relationship between internet use, depression, and the proportion of older adults living alone across 367 communities in Massachusetts (MA). Data were drawn from the 2025 Massachusetts Healthy Aging Data Reports ([healthyagingdatareports.org](healthyagingdatareports.org)). Internet use in the past month was derived from BRFSS data (2018–2022), the percentage of older adults living alone was obtained from the American Community Survey (2018–2022), and depression diagnoses were sourced from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data (2020–2021) . Across MA, the prevalence of depression ranged from 21.90% to 54.46%(state average: 34.64%), while internet  \nInnovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 801  \nuse varied from 40.83% to 88.95%(state average: 70.57%) .  \nRegression analyses showed a significant negative association between community rates of internet use and depression among older adults in MA (β = -0.10, p \u003C .000), which remained significant after adjusting for gender distribution and educational attainment. However, when stratified by the proportion of older adults living alone, this relationship was only significant in communities with a higher-than-average proportion of older adults living alone (β = -0.11, p \u003C .001), while no significant association was observed in communities with lower proportions. These findings suggest that internet use may be particularly beneficial in reducing community rates of depression among older adults experiencing greater social isolation, highlighting its potential asa mental health resource for those living alone.","cbCaigD4G7T5Gf6F","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaigD4G7T5Gf6F","pdf",1406266,"English","# Study purpose\n## Data sources and key measures\n## Findings and regression results\n## Implications for older adults living alone","[{\"question\":\"What does the study investigate in Massachusetts communities?\",\"answer\":\"It examines the relationship between community rates of internet use, depression, and the proportion of older adults living alone.\"},{\"question\":\"Which datasets were used to measure internet use and depression?\",\"answer\":\"Internet use came from BRFSS data (2018–2022), living alone proportions from the American Community Survey (2018–2022), and depression diagnoses from Centers for Medicare \\u0026 Medicaid Services data (2020–2021).\"},{\"question\":\"How are internet use and depression related in the study’s regression results?\",\"answer\":\"Community internet use shows a significant negative association with depression among older adults, and this remains significant after adjusting for gender distribution and educational attainment.\"},{\"question\":\"Does the association differ by levels of older adults living alone?\",\"answer\":\"Yes. The relationship is significant only in communities with a higher-than-average proportion of older adults living alone and not in communities with lower proportions.\"}]","The Association of Community Rates of Internet Use, Depression, and Living Alone in Massachusetts - Abstract | PDF",1790632568]