title: The Potential Impact of Internet and Mobile Use on Headache and Other Somatic Symptoms in Adolescence. A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine whether migraine or tension-type headaches are associated with abuse of the internet and/or mobile phones and to explore whether headache and the abuse of the two technologies are associated with sleep disturbances and other self-reported somatic symptoms.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  In the last several years, estimates indicate the increasing pervasiveness of the internet and other technologies in the lives of young people, highlighting the impact on well-being.
  
  
  METHODS
  A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted between February 2013 and June 2014.
  
  
  METHODS
  The initial sample was composed of 1004 Italian students (aged 10-16 years) recruited within public middle schools not randomly selected in central Italy. The final convenience sample consisted of 841 students (Males = 51.1%; Females = 48.9%) who were included in the analysis. Data were collected using self-reported measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Headache was reported by 28.0% of the total sample. A significant relationship was determined with gender (χ(2) (1) = 7.78, P < .01), with female students being overrepresented in the headache group. Approximately 39.6% of subjects were non-abusers of both technologies, internet and mobile. Mobile only abusers were approximately 26.0% of the study population; internet only abusers were approximately 14.9%; and abusers of both media were 19.5%. No significant relationship was found between students with and without headache with respect to the abuse of internet and mobile phone categories (headache was, respectively, the 26% in no abusers, the 30% in internet abusers, the 29% in mobile abusers, and the 29% in internet and mobile abusers, P = .86). Additionally, also by excluding the no headache group, the relationship between the two groups of headache (migraine and tension type headache) and the abuse of media (tension type headache was the 31% in no abusers, the 43% in internet abusers, the 49% in mobile abusers, and the 29% in internet and mobile abusers) is not statistically significant (P = .06). No significant relationship emerged between headache and the internet and mobile phone addiction groups (headache was the 28% in no addiction group, the 35% in mobile addiction group, the 25% of internet addiction group, and the 28% in mobile and internet addiction group, P = .57) as well as no significant relationship was found when only the different headache types were considered (tension type headache was the 39% in no addiction group, the 40% in mobile addiction group, the 32% in internet addiction group, and the 31% in mobile and internet addiction group, P = .71). Daily internet users reported higher median scores for somatic symptoms than the occasional internet users in the no-headache group (Kruskal-Wallis χ(2) (1) = 5.44, P = .02) and in the migraine group (Kruskal-Wallis χ(2) (1) = 6.54, P = .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results highlighted the potential impact of excessive internet and mobile use, which ranges from different types of headache to other somatic symptoms. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and to determine if there is a need for promoting preventive health interventions, especially in school setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy (R. Cerutti, V. Spensieri, C. Valastro).
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cerutti
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology of Developmental and Social Processes, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy (F. Presaghi).
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Presaghi
authors.affiliation: Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy (R. Cerutti, V. Spensieri, C. Valastro).
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Spensieri
authors.affiliation: Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy (R. Cerutti, V. Spensieri, C. Valastro).
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Valastro
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy (V. Guidetti).
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Guidetti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000453:epidemiology*; D040421:Cell Phone; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D057566:Self Report
keywords: adolescents; headache; internet; mobile phone; somatic symptoms