Partner- and Mode-Specific Social Contact and Poor Mental Health Among Older Adults in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the 2024 JACSIS Study.

Abstract

Aim: To examine whether social contact frequency is differentially associated with poor mental health by interaction partner and contact mode among older adults in Japan.

Methods: We analyzed the 2024 Japan COVID-19 and Society Internet Survey (JACSIS; December 2024-January 2025). All respondents aged ≥ 65 years in the analysis-ready dataset were included; no analytic variables had missing values. Poor mental health was defined as ≥ 1 versus 0 poor mental health days in the past 30 days (CDC Healthy Days item). Eight past-month partner-mode exposures (family or friends by in-person, phone, email/messages, or video call) were categorized as none, 1-3 times/month, or ≥ 1 time/week. Logistic regression estimated adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for demographic, health, lifestyle, physical activity, employment, education, and household income. False discovery rate control was applied across 16 prespecified contrasts.

Results: Among 6786 older adults (mean age 72.7 years; 50.4% men), 11.8% reported ≥ 1 poor mental health day. In fully adjusted models, more frequent in-person contact was associated with lower odds of poor mental health for friends/acquaintances (vs none: 1-3/month OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.59-0.84; ≥ 1/week 0.59, 0.48-0.73) and non-cohabiting family/relatives (0.84, 0.71-0.99; 0.71, 0.57-0.89). Remote modes were not clearly associated. After multiplicity control, weekly in-person family contact and both friend in-person frequencies remained significant.

Conclusions: Frequent in-person contact, especially with friends, was associated with lower odds of poor mental health, whereas most remote modes were not, even after adjustment for education and household income.