title: Predictors of the initiation and persistence of internet addiction among adolescents in Taiwan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study examined the psychosocial factors associated with the initiation and persistence of Internet addiction among adolescents in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 2315 students from 26 high schools were assessed in the 10th grade, with follow-up performed in the 11th grade, in Taipei, Taiwan. Self-administered questionnaires were collected in each year to assess the pattern of changes in Internet addiction and psychosocial factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 1602 students without an Internet addiction in the 10th grade, 253 (15.8%) had initiated Internet addiction by grade 11. Multivariate analysis results indicated that greater engagement in online activities (i.e., social network website use, online gaming), depression, and lower school bonding in grade 10 coupled with an increase in online activities, depression, and smoking from grades 10 to 11 predicted the initiation of Internet addiction. Of the 605 students with Internet addiction in the 10th grade, the addiction had persisted for 383 students (63.3%) in grade 11. An increase in the existence of depression and alcohol use from grades 10 to 11 predicted the persistence of Internet addiction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Online activities, depression, and substance use were important predictors of youth initiation and of the persistence of Internet addiction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion and Health Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan. Electronic address: fongchingchang@ntnu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Fong-Ching
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Information and Computer Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chiung-Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion and Health Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ching-Mei
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: The Graduate Institute of Mass Communication, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ping-Hung
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Nae-Fang
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Miao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D060756:Social Networking; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D018910:Video Games
keywords: Alcohol use; Depression; Internet addiction; Smoking; Youth