@Article{info:doi/10.2196/50418,
author="Yu, Yanqiu
and Yen, Stefanie H Y
and Wang, Deborah Baofeng
and Wu, Anise M S
and Chen, Juliet Honglei
and Zhang, Guohua
and Du, Mengni
and Du, Dajin
and Du, Mingxuan
and Lau, Joseph T F",
title="School Climate and School Identification as Determinants of Internet Gaming Disorder Among Chinese Adolescent Internet Gamers: Cross-Sectional Mediation Study",
journal="JMIR Serious Games",
year="2024",
month="Nov",
day="12",
volume="12",
pages="e50418",
keywords="school climate; school identification; adolescent; structural equation modeling; internet gaming disorder",
abstract="Background: School climate and school identification are important features of the school environment and potential determinants of adolescent internet gaming disorder (IGD). Objective: This novel study investigated their joint effects on IGD and related mediation mechanisms via the interpersonal factor of teacher-student relationship and the individual factors of academic stress and anxiety. Methods: A large-scale cross-sectional study was conducted among adolescent internet gamers of junior, senior, and vocational middle schools in Taizhou City, China, from February to March 2022 (N=5778). Participants self-administered an anonymous, structured questionnaire in classrooms. Adjusted logistic regression and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used for data analysis. Results: Among all participants, the prevalence of IGD was 8{\%} (461/5778). The 4 school climate subscales (student-student relationship subscale: adjusted odds ratio [ORa] 0.88, 95{\%} CI 0.85-0.91; student-staff relations subscale: ORa 0.87, 95{\%} CI 0.84-0.90; academic emphasis subscale: ORa 0.88, 95{\%} CI 0.85-0.91; shared values approach: ORa 0.88, 95{\%} CI 0.85-0.90), the school identification subscale (ORa 0.85, 95{\%} CI 0.83-0.88), and teacher-student relationship (ORa 0.80, 95{\%} CI 0.76-0.84) were significant protective factors against IGD, while academic stress (ORa 1.18, 95{\%} CI 1.14-1.23) and anxiety (ORa 1.16, 95{\%} CI 1.14-1.18) were risk factors of IGD. The SEM showed that the negative associations between school climate and IGD and between school identification and IGD were mediated via (1) three 2-step paths, each involving a single mediator---teacher-student relationship, academic stress, and anxiety, respectively---and (2) two 3-step paths involving 2 mediators---teacher-student relationship and academic stress first, respectively, and then anxiety. The direct effect of school climate on IGD was statistically nonsignificant (ie, full mediation with effect size ranging from 4.2{\%} to 20.4{\%}), while that of school identification was statistically significant (ie, partial mediation with effect size ranging from 4.5{\%} to 38.2{\%}). Conclusions: The relatively high prevalence of IGD among Chinese adolescents may be reduced through school-based interventions to improve school climate and school identification. Such improvements may reduce the levels of risk factors of IGD (poor teacher-student relationship, academic stress, and anxiety) and hence the risk of IGD. Future longitudinal and intervention studies are needed to confirm the findings. ",
issn="2291-9279",
doi="10.2196/50418",
url="https://games.jmir.org/2024/1/e50418",
url="https://doi.org/10.2196/50418"
}