Spanish Validation of the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short Form (IGDS9-SF): Prevalence and Relationship with Online Gambling and Quality of Life

Abstract

Online gaming is a very common form of leisure among adolescents and young people, although its excessive and/or compulsive use is associated with psychological impairments in a minority of gamers. The latest (fifth) edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5, Section III) tentatively introduced Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). Since then, a number of evaluation tools using the DSM-5 criteria have been developed, including the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short Form (IGDS9-SF). The main objective of this study was to translate and adapt the IGDS9-SF into Spanish, as well as to obtain indicators relating to its validity and reliability. The Spanish version of four scales were administered: IGDS9-SF, Mobile Phone-Related Experiences Questionnaire (CERM), Online Gambling Disorder Questionnaire (OGD-Q), and KIDSCREEN-27. The sample comprised 535 Vocational Training students (mean age 18.35 years; SD±2.13; 78.5% males) who reported playing video games in the past 12 months. Confirmatory factor analysis yielded a one-dimensional model with a good fit while the reliability indicators were satisfactory. Findings indicated that 1.9% of gamers were classified with IGD (meeting five or more criteria for more than 12 months). Additionally, another 1.9% were considered gamers ‘at-risk’ because they endorsed four criteria. Positive and significant relationships were found between the IGDS9-SF, the CERM, and the OGD-Q. Participants classified with IGD had poorer health-related quality of life. In conclusion, the Spanish IGDS9-SF is a valid and reliable instrument to assess IGD according to the DSM-5.

Effect of the Frustration of Psychological Needs on Addictive Behaviors in Mobile Videogamers—The Mediating Role of Use Expectancies and Time Spent Gaming

“…Considering the significant growth of mobile gaming, it seems important to learn about its potential risks. Following Pontes and Griffiths (2015) [12], we have estimated the prevalence of IGD in our study sample as 3%, which is similar to the 1.9% and 2.6% found in other Spanish samples [66,69]. The results of our study fall within the prevalence rate range reported by other international studies.…”

The Spanish Version of the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form (IGDS9-SF): Further Examination Using Item Response Theory

“…The final version of the scale used in the present study is shown in Appendix A , Table A1 . Discrepancies between this translation and Beranuy et al’s [ 42 ] version were minimal, and both retained the core psychological meaning of the original English version. The Cronbach’s alpha and the Omega coefficients for the IGDS9-SF in the present study were α = 0.90 and ω = 0.84, respectively.…”

“…However, a recent study [ 47 ] suggested that using a cut-off of 32 points on the IGDS9-SF yields robust diagnostic capabilities (i.e., Youden’s index, 96.2%; diagnostic accuracy, 96.1%; sensitivity, 98%; specificity, 91.9%; negative predictive value, 100%; accuracy, 96.1%). Despite these potential limitations, the present study expands the previous work by Beranuy and colleagues [ 42 ] on the utility of the Spanish version of the IGDS9-SF, as it utilized a community-based sample across a wide age range (adolescents and adults). Another important contribution of the present study is that it provided necessary data on the IGDS9-SF’s temporal stability and incorporated IRT as a framework of analysis.…”

“…The IGDS9-SF was originally developed in English and subsequently psychometrically validated and adapted to various languages, including Albanian [ 33 ], Chinese [ 34 ], Czech [ 35 ], German [ 36 ], Italian [ 37 ], Malay [ 38 ], Persian [ 31 ], Polish [ 39 ], European and South American Portuguese [ 15 , 40 ], Slovenian [ 41 ], Spanish [ 42 ], and Turkish [ 32 , 43 ]. Furthermore, its cross-cultural validity has been further supported by several international studies examining its measurement invariance (i.e., configural, metric, and scalar) across different countries [ 33 , 44 , 45 ].…”

“…Given that there are currently 15 million gamers in Spain aged between 6- and 64-years-old [ 46 ], it is paramount to have valid and reliable psychometric tools developed for the Spanish context that assess IGD under a common and internationally accepted framework such as the APA diagnostic framework and its nine IGD DSM-5 criteria. In a recent study, Beranuy and colleagues [ 42 ] developed and validated a Spanish version of the IGDS9-SF in a sample of young students and further examined its psychometric properties utilizing a classical test theory (CTT) framework (e.g., performing confirmatory factor analysis [CFA]). The authors reported that the Spanish IGDS9-SF was a valid and reliable tool and provided further evidence of its unidimensionality; adequate internal consistency; configural and metric gender invariance; and configural, metric, and scalar invariance across age (≤17 years vs. ≥18 years), alongside evidence of convergent validity.…”