Associations Between Problematic Internet Use and Adolescents' Physical and Psychological Symptoms: Possible Role of Sleep Quality
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the associations between problematic Internet use (PIU) and physical and psychological symptoms among Chinese adolescents, and to investigate the possible role of sleep quality in this association. METHODS: A cross-sectional school-based study was conducted in 4 cities in China. The Multidimensional Sub-health Questionnaire of Adolescents, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and demographic variables were used to measure adolescents' physical and psychological symptoms and sleep quality, respectively, in 13,723 students (aged 12-20 years). Problematic Internet use was assessed by the 20-item Young Internet Addiction Test. Logistic regressions were used to evaluate the effects of sleep quality and PIU on physical and psychological symptoms, and to identify the mediating effect of sleep quality in adolescents. RESULTS: Prevalence rates of PIU, physical symptoms, psychological symptoms, and poor sleep quality were 11.7%, 24.9%, 19.8%, and 26.7%, respectively. Poor sleep quality was found to be an independent risk factor for both physical and psychological symptoms. The effects of PIU on the 2 health outcomes were partially mediated by sleep quality. CONCLUSIONS: Problematic Internet use is becoming a significant public health issue among Chinese adolescents that requires urgent attention. Excessive Internet use may not only have direct adverse health consequences but also have indirect negative effects through sleep deprivation.
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Research to date has tended to focus on problematic or 'addicted' social media users or to compare outcomes for the highest users against the lowest users.
“Research to date has tended to focus on problematic or ‘addicted’ social media users10 20 or to compare outcomes for the highest users against the lowest users.15 17 21”
From Social media use and adolescent sleep patterns: cross-sectional findings from the UK millennium cohort study (2019) · cites this paper as [20]
Other studies have suggested associations between social media use and sleep disturbance in Australia and China.
“Other studies have suggested associations between SM use and sleep disturbance in countries such as Australia and China,23;24”
From The association between social media use and sleep disturbance among young adults (2016) · cites this paper as [23]
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- Authors
- An, J., Sun, Y., Wan, Y., Chen, J., Wang, X., & Tao, F.
- Affiliations
- Anhui Medical University (CN)
- Corresponding author
- An, Jing
- Tao, Fangbiao
- Venue
- Journal of Addiction Medicine
- Published
- 2014-07
- Volume
- 8
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 282-287
- ISSN
- 1932-0620 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2151413225
- Cited by
- 90
- References
- 6
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 2
- FWCI
- 16.28
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Addiction Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology
- Keywords
- problematic internet use, internet addiction, adolescents, sleep quality, somatic symptoms, psychological symptoms, sleep deprivation, mediation, Chinese adolescents
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adolescent Behavior, Child, China, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Health Status, Humans, Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders, Male, Risk Factors, Sleep, Prevalence, Behavior, Addictive, Internet, Asian People, Young Adult, Symptom Assessment
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