Psychiatry Investig.  2014 Oct;11(4):380-386. 10.4306/pi.2014.11.4.380.

Psychosocial Risk Factors Associated with Internet Addiction in Korea

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea. ymshin@ajou.ac.kr

Abstract


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of Internet addiction in middle school students and to identify associated psychosocial risk factors and depression.
METHODS
This study was part of a larger epidemiological study on childhood psychiatric disorders conducted in Osan, a city of Republic of Korea. We used IAS for internet addiction, K-YSR for subjects' emotional and behavioral problems and K-CDI for depressive symptoms. We used the data of n=1217 completed cases. We put on independent variables, which are sex, age, smoking and alcohol experiences, economic status, age of first Internet use, K-YSR and K-CDI score.
RESULTS
The subjects consisted of addicted users (2.38%), over users (36.89%) and normal Internet users (60.72%). Attention problems, sex, delinquent problems, K-CDI scores, thought problems, age and aggressive behavior were predictable variables of internet addiction. Age of initial Internet use negatively predicted Internet addiction.
CONCLUSION
This result showed similar to other researches about sociodemographic, emotional or behavioral factors related to internet addiction. Generally, subjects with more severe internet addiction had more emotional or behavioral problems. It means that they already have had various difficulties when we found internet addiction of adolescents. Therefore it is necessary to evaluate whether the subjects have any emotional or behavioral troubles and to intervene to prevent internet addiction.

Keyword

Internet addiction; Adolescent; K-YSR; K-CDI; Age of initial internet use

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Depression
Epidemiologic Studies
Gyeonggi-do
Humans
Internet*
Korea
Prevalence
Republic of Korea
Risk Factors*
Smoke
Smoking
Smoke
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