Generalised and specific problematic internet use among Spanish university students: prevalence, co-occurrence, and related variables

Objective: To examine the prevalence and co­occurrence of generalized problematic internet use (GPIU), problematic social media use (PSMU), and problematic online gaming (POG), as well as to identify associated sociodemographic, lifestyle, and internet use factors. Method: A total of 763 university...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Sánchez Fernández, Magdalena, Borda Mas, María de las Mercedes
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Sevilla (US)
Repositorio:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
OAI Identifier:oai:dnet:idus________::a2d204c9e2a87bbd3bbf366c39a4982e
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/11441/185810
https://doi.org/10.5944/rppc.44011
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Internet addiction
Social media problematic use
Online gaming
Prevalence
University students
Descripción
Sumario:Objective: To examine the prevalence and co­occurrence of generalized problematic internet use (GPIU), problematic social media use (PSMU), and problematic online gaming (POG), as well as to identify associated sociodemographic, lifestyle, and internet use factors. Method: A total of 763 university students participated in an online survey. Results: Prevalence rates were 16.3% (GPIU), 8.7% (PSMU), and 1.4% (POG). Co­occurrence rates were 6.6% (GPIU­PSMU), 0.7% (GPIU­POG), 0% (PSMU­POG), and 0.5% (GPIU­PSMU­POG). Female gender was associated with GPIU and PSMU, while male gender was linked to POG. Unemployment was related to POG, alcohol use and poor sleep quality to GPIU, and PSMU. Daily internet use was associated with GPIU; social­related use with GPIU and PSMU; and process­related use with all three behaviours. Conclusions: These findings support the need for differentiated preventive strategies tailored to the specific patterns and correlates of each type of problematic online behaviour.