JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Parental factors are known determinants of internet gaming disorder (IGD) among adolescents, but their causality is unclear.

Objective:

Based on behavioral change theories, this study investigated the level and gaming-specific parental factors of IGD conversion (from a non-case at baseline to a case at follow-up) and related mediation mechanisms.

Methods:

A 12-month longitudinal study, with the baseline survey in December 2018 and the follow-up survey in December 2019, was conducted among Chinese junior middle school students (n = 1,594). The 9-item DSM-5 IGD Checklist was used.

Results:

Of all participants, 6.5% developed IGD over the 12-month follow-up period. Adjusted for background factors, structural equation modeling results showed that the predictive effect of perceived parental gaming behavior (perceived parental gaming frequency and perceived invitation for co-gaming with children) at baseline on IGD conversion at follow-up was fully mediated by the 2-step indirect path (via adolescents' behavioral intention of increasing gaming intensity at follow-up) and the other 3-step indirect path (first via parental supportive attitude toward the adolescent’s gaming behavior at follow-up and then via the above behavioral intention at follow-up); another 2-step indirect path via parental supportive attitude at follow-up alone was statistically non-significant.

Conclusions:

This study was the first to reveal the longitudinal associations between parental gaming behavior and adolescent IGD conversion and related mechanisms. Family-based prevention and intervention programs on IGD conversion may take into account these identified modifiable parental and cognitive factors.