Summary
Introduction:
This article investigates the relationship between electronic device use and common mental traits, such as anxiety, depression, cigarette smoking, and alcohol drinking. The study uses data from the UK Biobank, a large-scale population-based study, to examine the association between electronic device use and mental traits, as well as the interaction between genetic factors and electronic device use. The study also uses Mendelian randomization analyses to investigate the causal relationship between electronic device use and mental traits.
Key Points:
* The study used data from the UK Biobank, which includes genetic information and self-reported data on electronic device use and mental traits.
* The study found that electronic device use was significantly associated with all four mental traits, even after adjusting for covariates such as age, sex, educational attainment, Townsend deprivation index (TDI), and the first 10 principal components of population structure.
* The study used Mendelian randomization analyses to investigate the causal relationship between electronic device use and mental traits. The results suggested a causal effect between alcohol drinking and all electronic device use, as well as between cigarette smoking and depression and TV watching.
* The study also used genome-wide gene-environment interaction analysis (GWEIS) to identify candidate loci that interact with electronic device use on mental traits. The results identified multiple candidate loci for anxiety score, depression score, cigarette smoking, and alcohol drinking.
* The study found that the associations between electronic device use and mental traits were significant in both men and women, except for the association between the frequency of alcohol drinking and computer using.
* The study also explored the independent effect of electronic device use on anxiety and found that TV watching was significantly and independently associated with mental traits.
* The study also found that the association between anxiety score and computer using could be influenced by depression score, and the association between alcohol drinking and computer playing could be influenced by cigarette smoking.
Main Message:
This study provides evidence for the association between electronic device use and common mental traits, such as anxiety, depression, cigarette smoking, and alcohol drinking. The study also suggests a causal relationship between electronic device use and mental traits, particularly for alcohol drinking and cigarette smoking. additionally, the study identifies candidate loci that interact with electronic device use on mental traits, which could provide insights into the genetic architecture of mental traits. The findings suggest that reducing electronic device use may help to reduce the incidence of mental traits. Overall, the study highlights the importance of considering the interaction between genetic factors and environmental exposures, such as electronic device use, when investigating the etiology of mental traits.
Citation
Ye J, Cheng S, Chu X, et al. associations between electronic devices use and common mental traits: a gene-environment interaction model using the UK Biobank data. addiction biology. 2022;27(2):1. doi:10.1111/adb.13111
