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© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Background: The present study compared adult usage patterns of online activities, the frequency rate of problematic internet use (PIU), and risk factors (including the psychopathology associated with PIU, i.e., distress and impulsivity) among adults in 15 countries from Europe, America, and Asia. Methods: A total of 5130 adults from Belgium, Finland, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland, Hungary, Poland, UK, Norway, Peru, Canada, US, and Indonesia completed an online survey assessing PIU and a number of psychological variables (i.e., depression, anxiety, stress, and impulsivity). The sample included more females, with a mean age of 24.71 years (SD = 8.70). Results: PIU was slightly lower in European countries (rates ranged from 1.1% in Finland to 10.1% in the UK, compared to 2.9% in Canada and 10.4% in the US). There were differences in specific PIU rates (e.g., problematic gaming ranged from 0.4% in Poland to 4.7% in Indonesia). Regression analyses showed that PIU was predicted by problematic social networking and gaming, lack of perseverance, positive urgency, and depression. Conclusions: The differences in PIU between countries were significant for those between continental regions (Europe versus non-European countries). One of the most interesting findings is that the specific PIU risks were generally low compared to contemporary literature. However, higher levels of PIU were present in countries outside of Europe, although intra-European differences existed.

Details

Title
Problematic Internet Use among Adults: A Cross-Cultural Study in 15 Countries
Author
Lopez-Fernandez, Olatz 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Romo, Lucia 2 ; Kern, Laurence 3 ; Rousseau, Amélie 4 ; Lelonek-Kuleta, Bernadeta 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Chwaszcz, Joanna 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Männikkö, Niko 6 ; Rumpf, Hans-Jürgen 7 ; Bischof, Anja 7 ; Király, Orsolya 8 ; Gässler, Ann-Kathrin 9 ; Graziani, Pierluigi 10 ; Kääriäinen, Maria 11   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Landrø, Nils Inge 12 ; Zacarés, Juan José 13   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Chóliz, Mariano 14   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Dufour, Magali 15 ; Rochat, Lucien 16 ; Zullino, Daniele 16 ; Achab, Sophia 17   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Demetrovics, Zsolt 18   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Griffiths, Mark D 19   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Kuss, Daria J 19   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 Faculty of Psychology, Campus de Somosaguas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Ctra. de Húmera s/n, Pozuelo de Alarcón, 28223 Madrid, Spain; Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Psychology, Carretera de Pozuelo a Majadahonda km. 1.800, Pozuelo de Alarcón, 28223 Madrid, Spain; Centro de Estudios Universitarios Cardenal Cisneros, University College, Department of Psychology, Calle del General Díaz Porlier 58, 28006 Madrid, Spain; Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Servicio de Psiquiatría, Avda. Reyes Católicos 2, 28040 Madrid, Spain 
 EA 4430 CLIPSYD Université Paris Nanterre, 92000 Paris, France; Hôpital Universitaire Raymond Poincaré, AP-HP Garches, CESP, U1018 INSERM UPS UVSQ 2, 92380 Garches, France 
 EA 2931, Centre de Recherches sur le Sport et le Mouvement (CESRM), Université Paris Nanterre, 92000 Nanterre, France; Laboratoire EA 4430, CLIPSYD Paris Nanterre, UPN, Université Paris Nanterre, 92000 Nanterre, France; Laboratoire APEMAC EA 4360, Université de Lorraine, 57000 Metz, France 
 Psychology Department, Centre d’Etudes et Recherches en Psychopathologie et Psychologie de la Santé (EA7411), Université Toulouse Jean Jaurès, 31058 Toulouse, France 
 Department of Psychology, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, al. Racławickie 14, 20-950 Lublin, Poland 
 Research Unit of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014 Oulu, Finland; School of Health and Social Care, Oulu University of Applied Sciences, 90570 Oulu, Finland 
 Department for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, 23538 Lübeck, Germany 
 Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1064 Budapest, Hungary 
 An der Questenhorst 7, 30173 Hannover, Germany, Psychotherapeutical Office Pilgramm, Karmarschstr. 44, 30159 Hannover, Germany 
10  LPS EA 849, Aix-Marseille University, 13007 Marseille, France; Psychologie, Langues, Lettres et Histoire Département, University of Nîmes, 30000 Nîmes, France 
11  Research Unit of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014 Oulu, Finland; Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital, University of Oulu, 90220 Oulu, Finland 
12  Clinical Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Forskningsveien 3A, 0373 Oslo, Norway 
13  Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain 
14  Department of Basic Psychology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain 
15  Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, 514-987-3000 Poste 4553, Montréal, QC H2L 2C4, Canada 
16  Specialized Facility in Behavioral Addiction ReConnecte, Department of Mental Health and Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, Rue du Grand-Pré 70 c, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland 
17  Specialized Facility in Behavioral Addiction ReConnecte, Department of Mental Health and Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, Rue du Grand-Pré 70 c, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland; Psychological and Sociological Research and Training Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland 
18  Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1064 Budapest, Hungary; Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming, University of Gibraltar, Gibraltar GX11 1AA, Gibraltar 
19  International Gaming Research Unit, Psychology Department, Nottingham Trent University, Burton Street, Nottingham NG1 4FQ, UK; Cyberpsychology Research Group, Psychology Department, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG1 4FQ, UK 
First page
1027
Publication year
2023
Publication date
2023
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
20770383
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2774912584
Copyright
© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.