Prevalence of Internet Addiction in a Sample of Southern Italian High School Students

• Published in: International journal of mental health and addiction Vol. 12; no. 6; pp. 708 - 715
• Main Authors: Bruno, Antonio, Scimeca, Giuseppe, Cava, Lucia, Pandolfo, Gianluca, Zoccali, Rocco A., Muscatello, Maria R.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.12.2014; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Addictions; Addictive behaviors; Age; Behavior; Community and Environmental Psychology; Families & family life; Females; Gender differences; Health Psychology; Internet; Males; Medicine & Public Health; Mental disorders; Parents & parenting; Psychiatry; Psychology; Public Health; Quality of life; Rehabilitation; School districts; Secondary school students; Secondary schools; Sociodemographics; Italy; Gender differences; Prevalence; Addictive behaviour; High school students; Internet addiction
• ISSN: 1557-1874; 1557-1882
• DOI: 10.1007/s11469-014-9497-y

The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of Internet Addiction (IA) in a sample of Italian high school students accounting for age, gender, place of residence, and kind of internet activity. The Internet Addiction Test (IAT) was administered to a sample of 1,035 high schools students (ages ranging from 13 to 22 years; 47.92 % girls) from three southern Italian cities. The prevalence of pathological Internet use in our high school students sample was 3.9 %, with males showing a higher likelihood of developing pathological Internet use. The most recurring Internet activities for excessive users were online games and online communication. No effect of age, place of residence, and region of residence was found. The results of this study reaffirm the importance of active involvement by experts dealing with addiction to implement programs for primary and secondary intervention among high school students.