Early detection of the problematic Internet use in adolescents, in pediatrics of primary care

Abstract

Background: Use of the Internet has grown exponentially and adolescents are considered one of the most vulnerable groups in this new environment. Hence the problematic use of the Internet (PIU) at this stage has become a concern for a growing number of researchers. Taking into account the interest that this issue has generated at many levels, the aim of this paper is to find the prevalence of PIU among adolescents in the health area of Vigo (Spain). Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study. The PIU validated scale was applied to children between 10 and 16 years old, captured by systematic sampling with replacement in the primary care consultations of four health centers. A descriptive and bivariate analysis was performed. Results: The questionnaire was applaid to 165 children, 51.2% men. Problematic Internet use was observed in 38.8% (95% CI: 31.7-46.4), higher in women (46.3%) than in men (31.8%), with no significant differences (p 0.07). By age groups, the positive rate on the scale reached 36.8% in the 13-14 year range and 48.6% in the 15-16 range. The item that reached the highest score was “When I am online, I feel that time flies and hours pass without me realizing it” (60.6%). Conclusions: The prevalence of UPI in children / adolescents is similar to that observed in Asian adolescents. This study is the first to apply a scale validated and adapted to the Spanish cultural context in the daily practice of Primary Care consultations. Its use would allow to identify the PIU in this context and intervene if necessary.