1) The EU-NET-ADB study aims to evaluate the prevalence and determinants of internet addictive behavior among adolescents in several European countries. 2) Preliminary findings from a survey of over 10,000 adolescents show that 60.5% use the internet 6-7 days a week, with higher usage among males. 91.6% have social media profiles. 3) Based on an Internet Addiction Test, preliminary rates of potential internet addiction range from 7.5-20.9% across countries studied. Computer gaming addiction ranges from 0.9-4.7% among males.

1. EU-NET-ADB
Studying internet addictive behaviour
in middle adolscence
Katarzyna Zygmunt-Hernandez
Nobody’s Children Foundation, Poland
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2. Problem of Internet Addictive
Behaviour
Characteristics:
Negative
Lack of Dominating
con-
control over role of
sequences
the internet internet in
of internet
usage the life
on life
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3. Adolscents as risk group
Searching for
Internet Addictive
identity
Behaviour
Huge role of peer
group
Tendency to
experimenting and
risky behaviours
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4. Previous findings
Excessive use of the internet among children in 27 European countries
Question: How often have these things happened to you?
Source: S. Livingstone et al. (2011), Risks and Safety in the Internet, EU Kids Online study
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5. EU-NET-ADB study
Project aims:
1 2 3 4
Assess Increase Enhance the
Evaluate the
qualitatively the awareness knowledge base
prevalence and
development of among the wider required for the
determinants of
borderline public regarding development of
Internet
addictive internet addictive strategies
addictive
Internet use behaviour relating to
behaviour
among among Internet addictive
among European
European European behaviour among
adolescents.
adolescents. adolescents youth in Europe.
The project is funded by the Safer Internet programme of the European Commission;
SI-2010-KEP-4101007
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6. Study design
EU-NET-ADB
Quantitative Qualitative
part part
N= 140
N= 14.000
2000
20 in-depth
Questionnaires
interviews
in each country
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7. Partners participating
University of Landeszentrale für Medien und
Akureyi Kommunikation Rheinland-Pfalz &
Iceland University Medical Center Mainz
Germany
Nobody’s Children
IVO Addiction Foundation
Research Institute Poland
Netherlands
University of
Medicine and
Pharmacy lasi
Romania
Protegeles
Spain
Adolescent Health Unit
University of Athens
Greece
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8. National samples
2038
12
2000*
20 2056
1310 20
16
Quantitative study sample 1813*
Qualitative study sample 20
1604*
20 1495*
10 136
20
128
* Will be completed 8

9. Qualitative Methodology
Process of recruitment
• School-based (10th grade)
• Cover letters (school, children, parents)
• Individual labeled questionnaire sets (IAT≥30)
• Invitation to clinic or institution for a 30-50 minutes
semi-structured interview
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10. Qualitative Methodology
Interview schedule
PART A: Warm up
PART B: Internet use and its evolution
PART C: Needs met
PART D: Self-perceived repercussions
PART E: Personal aims in regard to internet use
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11. Qualitative Methodology
First Wave Second Wave Last Wave
Interview with 5 Interview with 5 Interview with
participants participants 10 participants
EU First stage of First stage of First stage of
PARTNERS analysis analysis analysis
translation translation translation
In-depth In-depth In-depth
UMC Mainz analysis analysis analysis
Adaption of Adaption of Final analysis
interview- interview- of all interviews
AHU structure structure
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12. Quantitative Methodology
Target population
All adolescents:
• aged 15-16 years
• resident in the territory of every participating
country
• attending school (10th grade)
• a nationally representative, randomly selected
sample of 2000 adolescent per country
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13. Quantitative Methodology
Administration
• Self-administered questionnaires handed out in classrooms
• Anonymous and confidential
• Duration – ca. 45 minutes
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14. Quantitative Pilot Study
Development of Translation Cognitive Pilot study in
questionnaire testing schools
•52 items •2 independent • Focus groups • 1634
in each Participants in
•Including transalators country 7 countries
IAT and IAS •Back- • Testing • Testing
tests translation language and questionnaires
cultural and procedure
context
Conclusions
• Adaptation and
amelioration of the
questionnaire
• Estabilishment of the
study procedure
• Choice of IAT test
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15. Quantitative Methodology
EU-NET-ADB Master Questionnaire Design
Socio-demographic Internet
data Addiction Test South oaks
K. Young gambling screen
(SOGS)
Family
Time spent online
School Scale for the
achievements Achenbach’s Youth Self assessment of
Report (YSR) computer game
1. Withdrawal Addiction (AICA-S)
2. Somatic complaints
Internet usage 3. Anxiousness and depression
Negative
4. Social problems
characteristics experience online
5. Thinking problems
6. Attention problems (EU-Kids-Online
7. Deliquent behaviour Questions)
Parental control 8. Aggressive behaviour
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16. EU-NET-ADB Timeline
April-August October
April-May 2012 2012
2011 Data Final
Pilot study analysis findings
November 2011- May 2012
March 2012 Preliminary
Data collection findings
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17. Sample structure
Gender & Countries
Iceland Greece
20% 15%
Male
Netherlan Spain
Female 48% ds 15%
52% 13%
Romania
Poland 18%
20%
N=10136
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18. Preliminary Findings
How often do adolescents use the internet?
<6 days/week 6-7 days/week
All youth 39,5% 60,5%
Male 35,9% 64,1%
Female 42,9% 57,1%
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19. Preliminary Findings
How often do adolescents use the internet?
Greece
Not every
Iceland week
1 day/week
Romania
2-3
Spain
days/week
Poland 4-5
days/week
Netherlands 6-7
days/week
All youth
0% 50% 100%
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20. Preliminary Findings
Adolescent who have profile on Social Networking Sites
Female 93,2%
Male 89,8%
All youth 91,6%
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21. Preliminary Findings
During the past 12 months,
have you used the internet 59%
excessively to the excent of
41%
neglecting other activities?
During the past 12 months, did 63%
you ever try to reduce the
hours of internet use? 37%
No Yes
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22. Preliminary Findings
Prevalence of internet addictive behaviours
Borderline internet Internet addictive
addictive behaviours behaviours
(40-69 points) (70-100 points)
Spain 19.5% 1.5%
Romania 15.0% 1.7%
Poland 11.5% 1.3%
Netherlands 10.9% 0.9%
Greece 9.5% 1.7%
Iceland 6.8% 0.8%
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23. Preliminary Findings
Problematic internet behaviour (Internet Addiction Test≥40)
Spain 20,9%
Romania 16,6%
Poland 12,8%
Netherlands 11,8%
Greece 11,2%
Iceland 7,5%
All youth 13,4%
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24. Preliminary Findings
Prevelence of computer gaming abuse & addiction
(Scale for the assessment of computer game Addiction – AICA-S)
Normal use Gaming Abuse Gaming Addiction
(<7 points) (7-13 points) (13.5-27 points)
All youth 83.3% 13.2% 3.4%
Male 78.3% 16.9% 4.7%
Female 92.8% 6.4% 0.9%
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25. Preliminary Findings
Prevelence of computer gaming abuse & addiction
(Scale for the assessment of computer game Addiction – AICA-S)
Normal Abuse Addiction
Poland 80,9% 14,3% 4,9%
Greece 84,3% 12,4% 3,3%
Romania 82,1% 14,6% 3,3%
Netherlands 81,2% 15,6% 3,2%
Spain 89,8% 8,4% 1,7%
All youth 83,3% 13,2% 3,4%
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26. Thank you for your attention
Contact with EU-NET-ADB Consortium:
Artemis Tsitsika (info@youth-health.gr)
Eleni Tzavela (eu.netadb@med.uoa.gr)
Szymon Wójcik (szymon.wojcik@fdn.pl)
Find more on:
www.eunetadb.med.uoa.gr
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