Reframing video gaming and internet use addiction: empirical cross‐national comparison of heavy use over time and addiction scales among young users. (18th November 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Baggio, Stéphanie; Dupuis, Marc; Studer, Joseph; Spilka, Stanislas; Daeppen, Jean‐Bernard; Simon, Olivier; Berchtold, André; Gmel, Gerhard
• Is Part Of: Addiction. Volume 111:Number 3(2016)
• Page Start: 513
• Page End: 522
• Publication Date: 2015-11-18
• Subjects: Addiction -- heavy use over time -- internet use -- measurement -- population-based sample -- video gaming; Alcoholism -- Periodicals; Drug addiction -- Periodicals; 616.86
• DOI: 10.1111/add.13192
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0965-2140

Abstract

Abstract: Background and aims: Evidence‐based and reliable measures of addictive disorders are needed in general population‐based assessments. One study suggested that heavy use over time (UOT) should be used instead of self‐reported addiction scales (AS). This study compared UOT and AS regarding video gaming and internet use empirically, using associations with comorbid factors. Design: Cross‐sectional data from the 2011 French Survey on Health and Consumption on Call‐up and Preparation for Defence‐Day (ESCAPAD), cross‐sectional data from the 2012 [e-mail] study and two waves of longitudinal data (2010–13) of the Swiss Longitudinal Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors (C‐SURF). Setting: Three representative samples from the general population of French and Swiss adolescents and young Swiss men, aged approximately 17, 14 and 20 years, respectively. Participants: ESCAPAD: n = 22 945 (47.4% men);[e-mail] : n = 3049 (50% men); C‐SURF: n = 4813 (baseline + follow‐up, 100% men). Measurements: We assessed video gaming/internet UOT ESCAPAD [e-mail] : number of hours spent online per week, C‐SURF: latent score of time spent gaming/using internet] and AS (ESCAPAD: Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire, [e-mail] : Internet Addiction Test, C‐SURF: Gaming AS). Comorbidities were assessed with health outcomes (ESCAPAD: physical health evaluation with a single item, suicidal thoughts, and appointment with a psychiatrist;[e-mail] : WHO‐5 and somatic health problems; C‐SURF: Short Form 12 (SF‐12 Health Survey) and Major Depression Inventory (MDI). Findings: UOT and AS were correlated moderately (ESCAPAD: r = 0.40, [e-mail] : r = 0.53 and C‐SURF: r = 0.51). Associations of AS with comorbidity factors were higher than those of UOT in cross‐sectional (AS: .005 ≤ |b| ≤ 2.500, UOT: 0.001 ≤ |b| ≤ 1.000) and longitudinal analyses (AS: 0.093 ≤ |b| ≤ 1.079, UOT: 0.020 ≤ |b| ≤ 0.329). The results were similar across gender in ESCAPAD [e-mail] (men: AS: 0.006 ≤ |b| ≤ 0.211, UOT: 0.001 ≤ |b| ≤ 0.061; women: AS: 0.004 ≤ |b| ≤ 0.155, UOT: 0.001 ≤ |b| ≤ 0.094). Conclusions: The measurement of heavy use over time captures part of addictive video gaming/internet use without overlapping to a large extent with the results of measuring by self‐reported addiction scales (AS). Measuring addictive video gaming/internet use via self‐reported addiction scales relates more strongly to comorbidity factors than heavy use over time.