Psychometric properties of the Internet Addiction Test in Turkish

The effect of social anxiety on teenagers' internet addiction: the mediating role of loneliness and coping styles

BACKGROUND & AIM

There is a lack of understanding of how social anxiety may affect Internet addiction among adolescents. Based on several theories, the purpose of this study was to investigate the multiple mediating roles of loneliness and coping styles in the association between social anxiety and Internet addiction in Chinese adolescents.

METHODS

This study used the Social Anxiety Scale, Internet Addiction Test, Loneliness Scale, and Simple Coping Style Questionnaire to investigate 1188 students in two junior high schools and senior high schools in Henan Province, China. We adopted Pearson's correlation analysis and the PROCESS Macro Model 81 in regression analysis to explore the relationships among social anxiety, loneliness, coping styles, and Internet addiction.

RESULTS

We found that social anxiety not only directly affects teenagers' Internet addiction, but also affects teenagers' Internet addiction through loneliness and coping styles.

CONCLUSIONS

These results emphasize the importance of improving social anxiety to reduce Internet addiction among adolescents. At the same time, it also emphasizes the need to reduce adolescents' loneliness and cultivating positive coping styles. In addition, this study has certain theoretical significance for teenagers' mental health and intervention studies on Internet addiction.

Internet Gaming Disorder in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been related to an increased risk for behavioral addictions including online gaming. However, the relationship between these two conditions and Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is still debated. The aim of this study is to address this topic by exploring the prevalence of IGD in a consecutive sample of ASD youth and ADHD youth, compared with a normal control group, and by assessing selected psychopathological and neuropsychological features in ASD and ADHD patients with and without IGD. This study included 77 ASD patients (67 males, mean age 13.58 ± 2.75 years), 94 ADHD patients (79 males, mean age 11.46 ± 2.47 years), and 147 normal controls (NC) (mean age 13.9 ± 3.0 years, 114 males) that received structured measures for IGD (IAT, IGDS9-SF, and UADI). In the ADHD group, 72.34% of the sample were above the IGD cut-off, compared with 45.45% in the ASD group and 9.5% in the NC group. ASD patients with IGD presented with greater severity and more severe attention problems, with no difference in the ASD core symptoms between patients with and without IGD. In the comparison between the ASD and ADHD groups according to the presence of IGD, ASD patients with IGD were the most severe group according to the CGI (Clinical Global Impression) scale. The follow-up, conducted on 45 patients affected by ASD, showed an improvement in CGI and CGAS (Children's Global Assessment Scale) scores, but not in the IGD symptoms. These findings could place the diagnosis of ASD as a negative prognostic factor in the follow-up of aspects of video game addiction compared with ADHD.

Validation of the Amharic version of Internet Addiction Test-20: a cross-sectional study

Background

Internet Addiction is defined as excessive internet use or poorly controlled preoccupations, impulses, or behaviors related to computer use and internet access that cause impairment or suffering. It had devastating effect on people lives, families, productivity, academic performance and rarely engaging in criminal acts like alcohol use, drug addiction, or compulsive gambling. This study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Amharic version of Internet Addiction Test-20 among Addis Ababa University, College of Health Sciences medical students, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Methods

A cross sectional study was carried out among 410 medical students using a convenience sampling method after stratifying them based on their year level. SPSS Version 23 was used to do Pearson's correlation coefficient to determine the convergent validity of Amharic version of IAT. We computed correlation coefficient between the aggregate scores of IAT-20 and the scores for depressive symptoms, problematic substance use, and other characteristics of participants which was assessed using Patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) and questionnaire developed to assess demographic and internet use related characteristics, respectively. AMOS 23 software was used to conduct confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to evaluate the construct validity of Amharic version of IAT. Test-retest reliability was also determined with 2 weeks interval (n = 51).

Results

The data confirmed a two-factor structure. Normed Fit Index (NFI) = 0.89, Tucker Lewis Index (TLI) = 0.91 and Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.92, Root Mean Square Error Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.07, and Standardized Root Mean Residual (SRMR) =0.05 indicated a good fit model structure. There was moderate positive correlation between the aggregate scores of IAT-20 and PHQ-9 scores (r = 0.55, p < 0.00), but weak positive correlation between IAT-20 and ASSIST scores (r = 0.14, p < 0.00). IAT-20 was also found to have good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.89 for each factor). The test-retest reliability was also good for all items (Intra Class Correlation Coefficient (ICC) > 0.30) except item 16.

Conclusion

We found that the IAT-20 is psychometrically sound and a simple screening test for Internet Addiction. However, it is important to acknowledge that further studies are necessary to replicate these findings on diverse population.

Influence of childhood trauma on adolescent internet addiction: The mediating roles of loneliness and negative coping styles

BACKGROUND

In the information age, the use of the internet and multimedia tools has large effects on the life of middle school students. Improper use of the internet may result in internet addiction (IA). Thus, actively exploring the factors influencing adolescent and the mechanism of addiction as well as promoting adolescent physical and mental health and academic development are priorities that families, schools, and society urgently need to address.

AIM

To explore the effect of childhood trauma on adolescent IA and to consider the roles of loneliness and negative coping styles.

METHODS

A total of 11310 students from six junior high schools in Henan, China, completed the child trauma questionnaire, IA test, loneliness scale, and simple coping style questionnaire. In addition, data were collected from 1044 adolescents with childhood trauma for analysis with IBM SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 28.0; we examined the relationships among childhood trauma, IA, loneliness, and negative coping styles.

RESULTS

We found that childhood trauma not only directly affected adolescents' IA but also affected IA through loneliness and negative coping styles.

CONCLUSION

Therefore, this study has theoretical implications regarding adolescent mental health and may inform interventions for IA.

Problematic internet use and sleep quality in adolescents with major depressive disorder

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Clinical Usefulness of a Short Version of the Internet Addiction Test to Screen for Probable Internet Addiction in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Internet addiction (IA) is defined as the condition of being addicted to all sorts of activities on the Internet. Individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), may be susceptible to IA. Early detection and intervention for probable IA are important to prevent severe IA. In this study, we investigated the clinical usefulness of a short version of the Internet Addiction Test (s-IAT) for the screening of IA among autistic adolescents. The subjects were 104 adolescents with a confirmed diagnosis of ASD. They were requested to answer 20 questions from the original Internet Addiction Test (IAT). In the data analysis process, we comparatively calculated the sum of scores to the 12 questions of s-IAT. In total, 14 of the 104 subjects were diagnosed as having IA based on the face-to-face clinical interview that was regarded as the gold standard. Statistical analysis suggested that the optimal cut-off for s-IAT was at 35. When we applied the cut-off of 70 on the IAT, only 2 of 14 subjects (14.3%) with IA were screened positive, whereas 10 (71.4%) of them were screened by using the cut-off point of 35 on s-IAT. The s-IAT might be useful for the screening of IA in adolescents with ASD.

Associations among internet addiction, lifestyle behaviors, and dental caries among high school students in Southwest Japan

Internet addiction (IA) negatively affects adolescents' lifestyle behaviors. Inappropriate lifestyle behaviors could have negative effects on dental health. This cross-sectional study aimed to test whether IA was indirectly associated with dental caries through unhealthy lifestyle behaviors among high school students in southwest Japan. IA was characterized by a Young's Internet Addiction Test score of ≥ 50, unhealthy lifestyle behaviors by a cumulative count of 8 different lifestyle behaviors (termed the unhealthy lifestyle behavior index [ULBI]), and dental caries by the number of decayed, missing, and filled permanent teeth (DMFT). Poisson regression and linear regression models were fitted to the relationship, with IA as the exposure, the ULBI as the mediator, and the DMFT as the outcome. The natural indirect effect (NIE) and the proportion mediated by the ULBI were estimated by performing a mediation analysis. Overall, 1562 high school students were included. IA was observed in 406 participants and was associated with a larger DMFT. The ULBI significantly mediated the association between IA and the DMFT (NIE: incidence rate ratio = 1.05, 95% confidence interval = 1.03-1.07, proportion mediated = 64.3%). Dental caries was more common in our cohort of high school students with IA, which is partially explained by these students having unhealthy lifestyle behaviors.

Validation study of the Indonesian internet addiction test among adolescents

BACKGROUND

Internet addiction is a serious problem that can negatively impact both the physical and mental health of individuals. The Internet Addiction Test (IAT) is the most common used instrument to screen internet addiction worldwide. This study sought to investigate the psychometric properties of an Indonesian version of the IAT.

METHODS

The IAT questionnaire was made the focus of forward translation, expert panel discussions, back translation, an item analysis (30 subjects), a pilot study (385 subjects), and field testing (643 subjects). Factor structure was analysed by exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor (CFA) analyses, whereas reliability was measured with Cronbach's alpha coefficient.

RESULTS

Factor analysis revealed that the Indonesian version of IAT, consisted of 3 domains, and had good validity (χ2 p < 0.001; RMSEA = 0.076; CFI = 0.95; SRMR = 0.057, and AIC = 784.63). The Cronbach's alpha score is 0.855. A significant association was also observed between the level of internet addiction with gender (p = 0.027) and the duration of internet use per day (p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The Indonesian version of IAT provides good validity and reliability in a three-dimensional model. Therefore, it can be utilised as a tool for screening internet addiction in the Indonesian population.

Internet Addiction among Secondary School Adolescents: A Mixed Methods Study

INTRODUCTION

Excessive use of internet can lead to "Internet Addiction". A sharp rise in the number of internet users among adolescents in Bhutan have been observed lately which could have potential side-effects on their health. The aim of this study was to find the prevalence of internet addiction and psychological co-morbidities among the secondary school-going adolescents.

METHODS

This is a descriptive cross-sectional quan-qual sequential mixed method design with a quantitative component and qualitative component. The study was conducted between 1st May and 30st November 2017 conducted in twelve schools across Bhutan after taking ethical clearance was from Research Ethics Board of Health of Bhutan. Data were doubleentered in EpiData Entry, validated and imported into STATA version 12.0 for analysis. Point estimate at 95% CI was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data.

RESULTS

Among 721 adolescents from twelve selected schools, prevalence of internet addiction was 248 (34.440%) at , 95% Confidence Interval (31-38%). Out of A total of 586 (81%) preferred smartphone for internet use with 388 (54%) actually using it. Depression and anxietywere the associated psychological co-morbidities seen along with internet addiction. Internet addiction was high among those using internet at home, using smartphone for internet access, social networking and night time internet use were associated with internet addiction. Boredom, stress/anxiety and peer pressure were triggers of internet use. Internet addiction also affected academic performance, social interactions and sleep.

CONCLUSIONS

Prevalence of internet addiction among adolescents in Bhutan is high comparing to previous standard data which requires immediate attention.

Assessing the Psychometric Properties of the Internet Addiction Test in Peruvian University Students

The use of the Internet has been gradually and unstoppably gaining ground in all areas of life, from recreational activities to how social relations are established. However, the existence of clinical cases indicates that the addictive use of the Internet is a problem that seriously affects some people. Among the instruments that measure this construct, the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) stands out. However, instrumental studies of this test are scarce in Latin America. The present study sought to analyze the psychometric properties of the IAT in a sample of 227 Peruvian undergraduate university students. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to provide validity evidence based on the internal structure, and evidence based on the relationship with other variables was also provided. Reliability was estimated through the ordinal alpha coefficient. The results indicated that the IAT adequately fits a bifactor model (with two specific factors, time/control and stress/compensate), obtaining good levels of reliability. Additionally, the IAT scores correlate significantly with the average number of hours per day on the internet and social skills. The results lead to the conclusion that the scores in the IAT have evidence of validity and reliability for its use.

Internet Addiction and Academic Performance in Dental Students

OBJECTIVE

To determine the association between Internet addiction (IA) and academic performance in dental students at the University of Cartagena.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in 402 students included through non-probabilistic sampling who answered an anonymous and self-reporting questionnaire that included socio-demographic variables, academic performance (last semester overall grade), presence of IA (Young's Test) and covariates related to IA based on academic performance. Data were analysed by means of proportions, relationships between variables with the χ² test and strength of association was estimated with odds ratios (OR) using nominal logistic regression.

RESULTS

Approximately 24.63% of the students used the Internet much less than the average population, but 75.3% had IA; 73.13% of cases were considered mild and 2.24% moderate. There were no severe cases. Around 5.2% had poor academic performance. In multivariate analysis, the model that best explained IA in relation to academic performance was: studying in lower-level courses (OR=0.54; 95% CI, 0.32-0.91); studying in a different places of the house (OR=3.38; 95% CI, 1.71-6.68); not using laptop for studying (OR=0.41; 95% CI, 0.19-0.89), chatting on mobile phone (OR=2.43; 95% CI, 1.45-3.06); and spending more than 18 minutes on mobile phone while studying (OR=3.20; 95% CI, 1.71-5.99).

CONCLUSIONS

Academic performance was not associated with AI. However, studying in lower-level courses, in a different place of the house, not using laptop to study, and spending more than 18minutes answering their mobile phone and chatting on mobile phone while studying were covariates statistically associated with IA.

Development and Differential Item Functioning of the Internet Addiction Test-Revised (IAT-R): An Item Response Theory Approach

This study developed and investigated the differential item functioning (DIF) of the Internet Addiction Test-Revised (IAT-R) with an item response theory approach. In the Asian College Health Assessment (ACHA), 1,072 university students completed a survey in 2016-2017 school year. Confirmatory factor analysis models with robust maximum likelihood and diagonal weighted least square estimation methods were used to evaluate the construct validity of the 20-item IAT-R. Graded response model was used to produce categorical characteristic curves (CCCs), test characteristic curves (TCCs), item information function (IIF) curves, and test information function (TIF) curves for detecting DIF of the polytomous responses. Furthermore, DIF between genders was examined by ordinal logistic regression and Monte Carlo simulations. A first-order three-factor model was the most parsimonious model with normed fit index (NFI) of 0.915, non-normed fit index (NNFI) of 0.927, comparative fit index (CFI) of 0.937, and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) of 0.050. The emerged factors included Excessive Use and Neglect Work, Anticipation and Lack of Control, as well as Neglect Social Life and Salience. CCCs, TCCs, IIFs, and TIFs showed that all items were sensitive at moderate-to-high trait values. No nonuniform scale-level DIF relating to gender was determined. Under no DIF, the thresholds for proportional beta change exhibited a fairly steady trend (below 0.10) across items. In conclusion, IAT-R is a valid measurement scale of Internet addiction with measurement equivalence between genders being established.

Prevalence of excessive internet use and its correlation with associated psychopathology in 11th and 12th grade students

Background

Globally, the number of internet users has crossed the three-billion mark, while in India users grew over 17% in the first 6 months of 2015 to 354 million. This study presented a background on internet use and the existence of excessive internet use.

Aim

To study the extent of internet use in 11th and 12 grade students and the psychopathology, if any, associated with excessive internet use.

Methods

426 students who met the inclusion criteria were recruited from 11th and 12th grade classes from Kendriya Vidyalaya, New Delhi, India, and were assessed by Young's Internet Addiction Test and the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire.

Results

Among the 426 students, the mean internet addiction total score was 36.63 (20.78), which indicated mild level of internet addiction. 1.41% (six students) was diagnosed as excessive internet users, while 30.28% and 23.94% were classified as moderate and mild internet users, respectively. The prevalence of internet addiction between gender was 58.22% in males and 41.78% in females. While both positive (prosocial) and negative (hyperactivity, emotional, conduct and peer problem) impacts of internet use were reported by students, in the current study excessive use of internet had a negative impact on students' lives as compared with positive impact, which was statistically significant (p<0.0001).

Conclusion

Excessive internet use led to abnormal behaviours which cause negative consequences to users. Early diagnosis of risk factors related to excessive internet use, provides education about responsible use and supervision of students by family members.

Assessing the Psychometric Properties of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) Among Lebanese College Students

Internet addiction is an emergent problem; yet, both a strong conception of the factors precipitating challenging activities and a gold standard tool for evaluating symptoms are deficient. The aim of this study was to carry out a psychometric analysis using the most commonly employed screening tool, the young Internet Addiction Test (IAT), comprising a sample of Lebanese University medical students. Two hundred and fifty-six undergraduate medical students from a university in Beirut, Lebanon were included in our IAT. Exploratory factor analysis was employed, and four factors were extracted. These four factors were named as Lack of Control, Social Withdrawal and Emotional Conflict, Time Management Problems, and Concealing Problematic Behavior. Furthermore, the selected factors explained 56.5% of the total variance. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the internal reliability of the scale was found to be 0.91. For each subscale, the internal consistency score was approximated and detected as 0.76, 0.74, 0.69, and 0.63 for the first through fourth factor, respectively. Item total correlations were calculated and had a value range from 0.37 to 0.63 for the 20 items. IAT is a proper tool for evaluating internet addiction in Lebanese college students.

Psychometric Properties of the Internet Addiction Test: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This article performs a systemic review of psychometric properties of Internet Addiction Test (IAT)-the most widely used tool for assessing Internet addiction in clinic and research field. Studies measuring psychometric properties of IAT (original version) were searched through MEDLINE, The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycINFO, and Embase. A total of 25 studies including 18,421 subjects were reviewed in our study. Based on meta-analysis for internal consistency, the pooled Cronbach's alpha coefficient from college/university students with a single department subgroup was 0.90 (95percent confidence interval [CI], 0.89-0.91), and that from middle-/high-school students (older than 15 years) subgroup was 0.93 (95 percent CI, 0.92-0.93). According to test-retest analysis, the pooled Spearman's correlation coefficient from college/university students with a single department subgroup was high at 0.83 (95 percent CI, 0.81-0.85), along with low publication bias. Convergent validity showed correlation coefficients of 0.62-0.84, as compared with major tools. For construct validity, the number of factors is believed to be 1-2, only considering studies that followed the guidelines. IAT appears to have acceptable internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent validity in specific groups. To verify these values, well-designed evidence-based studies assessing psychometric properties of IAT across diverse populations are warranted.

Prevalence rate of Internet addiction among Japanese college students: Two cross-sectional studies and reconsideration of cut-off points of Young's Internet Addiction Test in Japan

AIM

Due to variation in estimates of the prevalence of Internet addiction (IA) in prior research, we conducted two cross-sectional studies over 2 years investigating the prevalence rate of IA in college students in Japan and reconsidered appropriate cut-off points of a self-rating scale to screen possible IA.

METHODS

This study was composed of two parts: survey I in 2014 and survey II in 2016, which were conducted in the same schools with an interval of 2 years. The study questionnaire included questions about demographics and Internet use, and Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT). Additionally, the subjects in survey II were asked about self-reported IA.

RESULTS

There were 1005 respondents in total with a mean age (± SD) of 18.9 ± 1.3 years. The mean IAT scores remained stable between 2014 and 2016: 45.2 ± 12.6 in survey I and 45.5 ± 13.1 in survey II (overall mean IAT score of 45.4 ± 13.0). With respect to self-reported IA in survey II, a total of 21.6% admitted to having IA (score of 5 or 6 on a 6-point Likert scale). We categorized these subjects as IA, and the remainder as non-IA. The mean IAT score showed a significant difference between these two groups (57.8 ± 14.3 vs 42.1 ± 10.7, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The severity of IA symptoms among Japanese college students has appeared stable in recent years, with mean IAT scores of over 40. Our results suggest that a screening score cut-off of 40 on the IAT could be reconsidered and that 50 might be proposed for the cut-off.