Prevalence and Associated Factors of Self-Esteem, Anxiety, and Depression among Online Dating Application Users in Thailand
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Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with self-esteem, anxiety, and depression among users of online dating applications in Thailand.
Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study. The sample consists of 280 users of online dating applications in Thailand who have had experience using these applications in the past 3 months and are 18 years and older. The study period is from November 1, 2023, to May 31, 2024. An online questionnaire is utilized to collect data on personal factors, characteristics of online dating application usage, as well as to assess mental health issues using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES-TR-10), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale, and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) in its Thai version. Statistical data is analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics including Pearson’s chi-squared test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Multivariable logistic regression.
Results: The prevalence of the sample with low self-esteem was 20.4%, anxiety was 25.7%, and depression was 41.8%. Factors associated with self-esteem included monthly income (Adjusted OR 7.26, 95%CI 1.32 - 39.85), body satisfaction (Adjusted OR 4.81, 95%CI 2.13 - 10.86), social comparison (Adjusted OR 5.36, 95%CI 2.10 - 13.69), and self-reported impact on self-esteem (Adjusted OR 4.45, 95%CI 1.86 - 10.63). Factors associated with anxiety included gender (Adjusted OR 5.56, 95%CI 1.37 - 22.54), monthly income (Adjusted OR 3.71, 95%CI 1.44 - 9.52), body satisfaction (Adjusted OR 4.64, 95%CI 2.29 - 9.42), and social comparison (Adjusted OR 3.92, 95%CI 1.86 - 8.24). Additionally, factors associated with depression included gender (Adjusted OR 3.83, 95%CI 1.03 - 14.28), monthly income (Adjusted OR 3.32, 95%CI 1.17 - 9.40), body satisfaction (Adjusted OR3.39, 95%CI 1.76 - 6.52), and social comparison (Adjusted OR 3.01, 95%CI 1.63 - 5.55).
Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of mental health issues, including low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression among users of online dating applications in Thailand, compared to the prevalence of these issues in the general population. Important associated factors include the absence of gender identification, low monthly income, body dissatisfaction, frequent social comparisons, and self-reported negative impact on self-esteem. Therefore, relevant parties should consider strategies for monitoring and preventing these associated factors to reduce the incidence of potential mental health issues in the future.
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