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Multi-dimensional discriminative factors for Internet addiction among adolescents regarding gender and age |
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| Authors: | Cheng-Fang Yen md phd Chih-Hung Ko md Ju-Yu Yen md Yu-Ping Chang rn phd and Chung-Ping Cheng p hd |
| Institution: | Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and;Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University,;Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University,;Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Municipal Hsiao-Kang Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung,;Department of Psychology and Research Center for Mind, Brain, and Learning, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan and;School of Nursing, State University of New York at Buffalo, New York, USA |
| Abstract: | Aims: The aim of the present study was to examine the discriminative effects of sociodemographic, individual, family, peers, and school life factors on Internet addiction in Taiwanese adolescents. Methods: A total of 8941 adolescents were recruited and completed the questionnaires. Multi-dimensional discriminative factors for Internet addiction were examined using chi-squared automatic interaction detection for gender and sex. Results: Depression and low family monitoring were the discriminative factors for Internet addiction in all four gender- and age-specified groups of adolescents. Low connectedness to school, high family conflict, having friends with habitual alcohol drinking, and living in rural areas also had discriminative effects on adolescent Internet addiction in adolescents of different gender and age. Conclusions: Multi-dimensional factors were able to discriminate between those adolescents with and without Internet addiction. It is suggested that parents and health and educational professionals monitor the Internet-using behaviors of adolescents who have the factors discriminating for Internet addiction identified in the present study. |
| Keywords: | adolescent Internet addiction risk factors |