Table 3.
Depression by demographic and cellphone use co-variates
| Variables |
Overall (n = 425) |
Probable depression(n = 184) | Not Depressed(n = 241) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Site | ||||
| Durban (%) | 220 (51.8) | 95 (43.2) | 125 (56.8) | 0.96 |
| Soweto (%) | 205 (48.2) | 89 (43.4) | 116 (56.6) | |
| Gender | ||||
| Women (%) | 253 (59.5) | 124 (49.0) | 129 (51.0) | 0.004 |
| Men (%) | 172 (40.5) | 60 (34.9) | 112 (65.1) | |
| Age group (in years) | ||||
| 16–20 (%) | 315 (74.1) | 133 (42.2) | 182 (57.8) | 0.45 |
| 21–24 (%) | 110 (25.9) | 51 (46.4) | 59 (53.6) | |
| Sexual orientation c | ||||
| Heterosexual (%) | 395 (93.2) | 169 (42.8) | 226 (57.2) | 0.35 |
| LGBTQ (%) | 29 (6.8) | 15 (51.7) | 14 (48.3) | |
| Main home language | ||||
| IsiZulu (%) | 310 (72.9) | 134 (43.2) | 176 (56.8) | 0.96 |
| Other (%) | 115 (27.1) | 50 (43.5) | 65 (56.5) | |
| Type of housing | ||||
| Formal Housing (%) | 301 (70.8) | 129 (42.9) | 172 (57.1) | 0.78 |
| Other (%) | 124 (29.2) | 55 (44.4) | 69 (55.6) | |
| Head of household | ||||
| Female (%) | 259 (60.9) | 115 (44.4) | 144 (55.6) | 0.56 |
| Other (%) | 166 (39.1) | 69 (41.6) | 97 (58.4) | |
| Average own income (In Rand) | ||||
| None–1600 (%) | 328 (77.2) | 130 (39.6) | 198 (60.4) | 0.005 |
| 1601–More (%) | 97 (22.8) | 54 (55.7) | 43 (44.3) | |
| Currently a student? | ||||
| No (%) | 121 (28.5) | 61 (50.4) | 60 (49.6) | 0.06 |
| Yes (%) | 303 (71.5) | 122 (40.3) | 181 (59.7) | |
| Number of persons financially depending on participant | ||||
| <1 (%) | 303 (71.3) | 117 (38.6) | 186 (61.4) | 0.002 |
| ≥1 (%) | 122 (28.7) | 67 (54.9) | 55 (45.1) | |
| Ever had consensual sex | ||||
| No (%) | 63 (14.9) | 25 (39.7) | 38 (60.3) | 0.52 |
| Yes (%) | 361 (85.1) | 159 (44.0) | 202 (56.0) | |
| Do you have your own cellphone? | ||||
| No (%) | 23 (5.4) | 7 (30.4) | 16 (69.6) | 0.20 |
| Yes (%) | 402 (94.6) | 177 (44.0) | 225 (56.0) | |
| What do you use the cellphone for: | ||||
| General Communication (%) | 410 (97.2) | 178 (43.4) | 232 (56.6) | 0.49 |
| Mobile Entertainment (%) | 388 (91.9) | 172 (44.3) | 216 (55.7) | 0.09 |
| Facebook (%) | 300 (71.1) | 135 (45.0) | 165 (55.0) | 0.22 |
| Twitter (%) | 79 (18.7) | 34 (43.0) | 45 (57.0) | 0.99 |
| WhatsApp (%) | 327 (77.5) | 145 (44.3) | 182 (55.7) | 0.35 |
| Instagram (%) | 58 (13.7) | 18 (31.0) | 40 (69.0) | 0.045 |
| Amount of time in a day spent actively using a cellphone | ||||
| < 8 Hours (%) | 296 (70.5) | 113 (38.2) | 183 (61.8) | 0.001 |
| ≥ 8 Hours (%) | 124 (29.5) | 69 (55.7) | 55 (44.3) | |
| How do you get airtime? | ||||
| Contract (%) | 10 (2.4) | 6 (60.0) | 4 (40.0) | 0.28 |
| Prepaid (%) | 412 (97.6) | 176 (42.7) | 236 (57.3) | |
| Who pays for the prepaid? | ||||
| Participant (%) | 292 (71.2) | 121 (41.4) | 171 (58.6) | 0.42 |
| Other (%) | 118 (28.8) | 54 (45.8) | 64 (54.2) | |
| Do you have access to the internet? | ||||
| No (%) | 45 (10.6) | 19 (42.2) | 26 (57.8) | 0.88 |
| Yes (%) | 380 (89.4) | 165 (43.2) | 215 (56.8) | |
| When you are on the internet what do you do or search for? | ||||
| Download music and videos (%) | 214 (50.7) | 86 (40.2) | 128 (59.8) | 0.22 |
| Research for school projects (%) | 247 (58.5) | 104 (42.1) | 143 (57.9) | 0.61 |
| To find information about health (%) | 97 (23.0) | 37 (38.1) | 60 (61.9) | 0.26 |
| To find information about sex (%) | 51 (12.1) | 24 (47.1) | 27 (52.9) | 0.55 |
| Apps (%) | 226 (53.6) | 109 (48.2) | 117 (51.8) | 0.02 |
aLGBTQ: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning