Problematic Internet Use and Smoking among Chinese Junior Secondary Students: The Mediating Role of Depressive Symptomatology and Family Support

Abstract

Background: Internet use is significant public health issue and can be a risk factor for other addictive behaviors, such as smoking. The present study examined the association between problematic Internet use (PIU) (i.e., Internet addiction (IA) and social networking addiction (SNA)) and smoking, and the mediating role of depressive symptomatology and family support played in such associations. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 5182 junior secondary students (grade 7 and 8) recruited from nine schools using stratified sampling. Results: A total of 3.6% of students had smoked in the past month, and 6.4% of students were identified as IA cases. Adjusted for significant background variables, PIU (ORa = 2.07, 95% CI = 1.48, 2.90 for IA, ORa = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.09, 1.47 for SNA), and probable depression (ORa = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.05, 1.69) were significant risk factors, while family support (ORa = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.77, 0.94) was a significant protective factor of smoking. The mediation effects of lower family support and probable depression on the association between score on IA scale and smoking, and the mediation effect of lower family support on the association between score on SNA scale and smoking were significant, while the mediation effect of probable depression on the association between score on SNA scale and smoking was marginally significant. Conclusions: PIU contributed to an increased risk of smoking through depressive symptomatology and decreasing family support among junior school students. Interventions to reduce smoking are warranted; they should seek to reduce problematic Internet use and depressive symptomatology, and promote family support.

Unpacking the relation between children’s use of digital technologies and children’s well-being: A scoping review

“…As for the conceptualisation of well-being in relation to DTNU, the literature has largely addressed psychological individual dimensions with most studies focussing on depression and anxiety. Also, if some social and contextual dimensions have been considered (e.g., Mo et al, 2019 ; Mikuška et al, 2020 ), there is a neglect of studies that have included learning difficulties and school attainment variables. The relation between DTU and well-being is anything but simple and unidirectional: a higher number of studies considered well-being dimensions as predictors of DTNU; nonetheless, consistent studies have shown that DTNU can also contribute to the development of psychological problems.…”

Family Support as Smoking Prevention during Transition from Early to Late Adolescence: A Study in 42 Countries

“…The associations of adolescent smoking behaviour with familial or parental variables have been extensively examined [ 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 ]. Although various variables to describe family functioning and parenting have received a great deal of attention [ 15 , 48 ], in this study we focussed on the associations of current smoking with family support.…”

Üniversite Öğrencilerinde İnternet, Sosyal Medya ve Oyun Bağımlılığının Değerlendirilmesi

“…Ancak alkol ve sigara gibi kısa süreli rahatlama sağlayan maddelerin internet ve sosyal medya kullanımında pekiştireç rolü oynadığını ve risk faktörleri olduğunu gösteren çok sayıda çalışma bulgusu bulunmaktadır (32). Ayrıca problemli internet kullanımının özellikle sigara kullanımı için bir risk faktörü olduğunu vurgulanmaktadır (33,34). Bizim araştırmamızda da oyun bağımlılığı ile sigara ve alkol kullanımı arasında ilişki olduğu tespit edildi.…”