Xin Li1, Xiaomin Luo2, Ruimin Zheng3, Xi Jin2, Lili Mei2, Xinyan Xie1, Huaiting Gu1, Fang Hou1, Lingfei Liu1, Xiu Luo1, Heng Meng1, Jiajia Zhang4, Ranran Song5. 1. Department of Maternal and Child Health and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, Hubei, China. 2. National Center for Women and Children's Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, No 12 Dahuishi Road, Beijing, China. 3. National Center for Women and Children's Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, No 12 Dahuishi Road, Beijing, China. Electronic address: zhengruimin@chinawch.org.cn. 4. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States. 5. Department of Maternal and Child Health and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, Hubei, China. Electronic address: songranran@hust.edu.cn.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Both peer victimization and internet addiction are common public health problems for children and adolescents. Several studies found an association between peer victimization and internet addiction, but the mechanism underlying this association remained unclear. This study aimed to determine the mechanisms underlying this association. METHODS: Data was extracted from an epidemiologic study involving middle and high school adolescents, in which 15,415 individuals (14.6 ± 1.7 years) were recruited. The moderated mediation models were examined using SPSS PROCESS macro 2.16 software, in which the mediation variables were depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms, and the moderation variable was school functioning. RESULTS: The total indirect effect of verbal victimization on internet addiction through depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms was found to be 0.4531, which accounted for 63.7% of the total effect of verbal victimization on internet addiction. Depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms totally mediated the association between relational victimization and internet addiction and the association between the physical victimization and internet addiction. There were gender differences in the mediating effects of depressive and anxiety symptoms on the association between peer victimization and internet addiction. The indirect effect of the three different types of peer victimization (physical, verbal, relational) on internet addiction became stronger as school functioning increased. LIMITATIONS: We included two mediators in one model, and the data used in this study was self-reported and cross-sectional. CONCLUSIONS: Depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms mediate the association between peer victimization and internet addiction. Students who score higher in school functioning were more likely to develop internet addiction when they encounter peer victimization.
BACKGROUND: Both peer victimization and internet addiction are common public health problems for children and adolescents. Several studies found an association between peer victimization and internet addiction, but the mechanism underlying this association remained unclear. This study aimed to determine the mechanisms underlying this association. METHODS: Data was extracted from an epidemiologic study involving middle and high school adolescents, in which 15,415 individuals (14.6 ± 1.7 years) were recruited. The moderated mediation models were examined using SPSS PROCESS macro 2.16 software, in which the mediation variables were depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms, and the moderation variable was school functioning. RESULTS: The total indirect effect of verbal victimization on internet addiction through depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms was found to be 0.4531, which accounted for 63.7% of the total effect of verbal victimization on internet addiction. Depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms totally mediated the association between relational victimization and internet addiction and the association between the physical victimization and internet addiction. There were gender differences in the mediating effects of depressive and anxiety symptoms on the association between peer victimization and internet addiction. The indirect effect of the three different types of peer victimization (physical, verbal, relational) on internet addiction became stronger as school functioning increased. LIMITATIONS: We included two mediators in one model, and the data used in this study was self-reported and cross-sectional. CONCLUSIONS:Depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms mediate the association between peer victimization and internet addiction. Students who score higher in school functioning were more likely to develop internet addiction when they encounter peer victimization.
Authors: Olivier Phan; Constance Prieur; Céline Bonnaire; Ivana Obradovic Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2019-12-18 Impact factor: 3.390