Abstract
This study aimed to explore relationship between problematic internet use (PIU), healthy lifestyle behaviors and subjective health complaints.Methods: Participants (396 adolescents, aged 11–18 years) from 34 general education schools across Latvia completed online survey. The PIU was assessed by the Problematic and Risky Internet Use Screening Scale (PRIUSS) collecting data on social impairment, emotional impairment, and risky/impulsive internet use. The subjective health complaints assessed were somatic and psychological symptoms. Healthy lifestyle behaviors assessed were daily physical activities, time spent in using information technologies (IT), eating habits, and duration of sleep.Results: This study found that 31.00% (n = 124) of the participants scored at risk for PIU. Correlates associated with PIU were subjective health complaints, low physical activity, lack of meals together with family and disturbed sleeping regimes on weekends (P < 0.001). Stepwise multiple regression analyses showed that 34% of the variance in the PRIUSS scores was explained by psychological health complaints (irritability, depression, and nervousness), screen time use on weekends, physical activity, drinking sweetened soft drinks and unhealthy eating habits.Conclusion: PIU behaviors among adolescents in Latvia are associated with psychological symptoms and unhealthy lifestyle. Further effective measures and interventions are needed to prevent development of psychosomatic health problems.
Highlights
Adolescence is a period when independent lifestyle behaviours are developed which can significantly impact current and long-term health and education aspects (Biddle et al, 2004; Costigan et al, 2013).Numerous previous studies involving adolescents have demonstrated associations between lower levels of daily physical activity and greater time engaged in sedentary behaviors such as screen timeProblematic Internet Use and Health in Adolescents (Hashem et al, 2018; Marques et al, 2019)
While it is recommended that children and adolescents should spend each day at least 60 min in moderate-to- vigorous activity (World Health Organization, 2020), European national studies reported that majority of adolescent population are not meeting current recommendations of the World Health Organization related to healthy lifestyle (Lowry et al, 2015)
This study examined the association between problematic internet use (PIU) related psychosocial behaviors, subjective health complaints and healthy lifestyle habits in adolescents (11–18 years of age)
Summary
Adolescence is a period when independent lifestyle behaviours are developed which can significantly impact current and long-term health and education aspects (e.g., body composition, fitness level, academic performance, sleep quality, and psychosocial behaviors) (Biddle et al, 2004; Costigan et al, 2013).Numerous previous studies involving adolescents have demonstrated associations between lower levels of daily physical activity and greater time engaged in sedentary behaviors such as screen timeProblematic Internet Use and Health in Adolescents (Hashem et al, 2018; Marques et al, 2019). Adolescence is a period when independent lifestyle behaviours are developed which can significantly impact current and long-term health and education aspects (e.g., body composition, fitness level, academic performance, sleep quality, and psychosocial behaviors) (Biddle et al, 2004; Costigan et al, 2013). Numerous previous studies involving adolescents have demonstrated associations between lower levels of daily physical activity and greater time engaged in sedentary behaviors such as screen time. While it is recommended that children and adolescents should spend each day at least 60 min in moderate-to- vigorous activity (World Health Organization, 2020), European national studies reported that majority of adolescent population are not meeting current recommendations of the World Health Organization related to healthy lifestyle (e.g., daily physical activity, nutrition, screen time) (Lowry et al, 2015). Almost one-third of responders reported multiple health complaints (Marques et al, 2019)
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