Status quo and related factors of Internet addiction among adolescents in poor areas

HU Tingting; ZHU Xiaorui; ZHANG Qing'e; CHEN Xu; ZHOU Jiaojiao; DONG Sixin; JI Yang

doi:10.11852/zgetbjzz2022-1464

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Chinese Journal of Child Health Care ›› 2023, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (6) : 612-616. DOI: 10.11852/zgetbjzz2022-1464

Original Articles

Status quo and related factors of Internet addiction among adolescents in poor areas

HU Tingting¹, ZHU Xiaorui², ZHANG Qing'e¹, CHEN Xu¹, ZHOU Jiaojiao¹, DONG Sixin², JI Yang²

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Abstract

Objective To analyze the current situation and influencing factors of internet addiction in adolescents in poor areas, in order to provide reference for intervention of Internet addiction. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted to investigate the general demographic data and Internet addiction among school students aged 9 - 18 from 20th April to 10th May 2022. Depression and anxiety of the students were assessed by the Central Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Generalized Anxiety Scale (GAD-7), and the related influencing factors were analyzed. Results A total of 23 180 primary and secondary school students completed the survey, and 2 394 (10.3%) had internet addiction. The risk factors of Internet addition included male (OR=1.243, 95%CI:1.139 - 1.355), secondary school students (OR=1.911, 95%CI:1.731 - 2.110), left-behind students (OR=1.380, 95%CI:1.249 - 1.525), attending in priority school (OR=1.375, 95%CI:1.225 - 1.544) and priority class (OR=1.184, 95%CI:1.048 - 1.338), while good academic performance(OR=0.635, 95%CI:0.564 - 0.715) and good social relationships (family OR=0.620, classmates OR=0.701) were independent protective factors for Internet addiction among adolescent school students(P＜0.05). A total of 8 261 (35.6%) adolescents were comorbid with depressive symptoms, and 1 988 (8.6%) adolescents were complicated with anxiety symptoms. Adolescents with Internet addiction were more prone to develop depressive symptoms (OR=14.891, 95%CI:13.203 - 16.796, P＜0.001) and anxiety symptoms (OR=15.412, 95%CI:13.895 - 17.095, P＜0.001). Conclusions Internet addiction is prevalent among adolescents in poor areas, and is significantly related to adolescents' age, gender, grade, school and class type, left-behind status, academic achievement and social relationship. It is urgent to timely screen and intervene adolescents with internet addiction problems.

Key words

Internet addiction / depressive symptoms / anxiety symptoms / poor areas / adolescent

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HU Tingting, ZHU Xiaorui, ZHANG Qing'e, CHEN Xu, ZHOU Jiaojiao, DONG Sixin, JI Yang. Status quo and related factors of Internet addiction among adolescents in poor areas[J]. Chinese Journal of Child Health Care. 2023, 31(6): 612-616 https://doi.org/10.11852/zgetbjzz2022-1464

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