Multi-dimensional discriminative factors for Internet addiction among adolescents regarding gender and age.
OBJECTIVE
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.
Yen
Cheng-Fang
CF
Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Ko
Chih-Hung
CH
Yen
Ju-Yu
JY
Chang
Yu-Ping
YP
Cheng
Chung-Ping
CP
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000367:Age Factors; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D010379:Peer Group; D012574:Schools; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors