International Journal of Public Health (Oct 2022)

Investigating the Association Between Adolescent Internet Addiction and Parental Attitudes

  • Mehmet Bilge,
  • Gülten Uçan,
  • Hakan Baydur

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/ijph.2022.1605065
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 67

Abstract

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Objectives: In this study, the association between parents’ attitudes and internet addiction among adolescent high school students was investigated through some sociodemographic variables.Methods: The research was carried out with 385 students studying in four high schools in western Turkey. Sociodemographic characteristics, parental attitude scale and internet addiction scale were used in the study. Descriptive statistics, logistic regression analysis and structural equation modeling analysis were applied.Results: The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that there was a significant relationship between the combined mean score obtained from the Parental Attitude Scale and the mean score obtained from the Internet Addiction Scale, and that authoritarian parenting attitude increases the risk of internet addiction [OR = 1.70 (95% CI: 1.33–2.18)]. In the structural equation modeling analysis, the model summary fit values were determined to be at a good level (χ2/df = 2.86, GFI = 0.97, RMSEA = 0.073) regarding the relationship between parental attitude and internet addiction.Conclusion: Adolescents’ internet addiction levels changes related to their parents’ democratic attitude evolve.

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