Transitions in smartphone addiction proneness among children: the effect of gender and use patterns

Objectives This study assessed the incidence of transitions in smartphone addiction proneness (SAP) among children and examined the effects of gender, use patterns (social networking sites (SNSs) use and smartphone gaming) and depression on smartphone addiction transitions.Methods A representative sample of 2,155 children from Taipei completed longitudinal surveys in both 2015 (5th grade) and 2016 (6th grade). Latent transition analysis (LTA) was used to characterize transitions in SAP and to examine the effects of use patterns and depression on SAP transitions among boys and girls. Results LTA identified four latent statuses of SAP: about half of the children were in non-SAP status, one-fifth were in tolerance status, one-sixth were in withdrawal status, and one-seventh were in high-SAP status. Both boys and girls had a higher prevalence of high-SAP and tolerance in 6th grade than in 5th grade, whereas in both grades boys had a higher prevalence of high-SAP and withdrawal, and girls h...研究目的 本研究旨在评估儿童智能手机成瘾易感性（smartphone addiction proneness, SAP）状态转变的发生率，并检验性别、使用模式（社交网站（social networking sites, SNSs）使用与智能手机游戏）及抑郁情绪对智能手机成瘾易感性状态转变的影响。 研究方法 本研究纳入来自台北市的2155名具有代表性的儿童样本，分别于2015年（五年级）与2016年（六年级）完成两次纵向追踪调查。本研究采用潜在转变分析（latent transition analysis, LTA）对智能手机成瘾易感性的状态转变特征进行刻画，并检验不同性别群体中使用模式与抑郁情绪对智能手机成瘾易感性状态转变的影响。 研究结果 潜在转变分析识别出智能手机成瘾易感性的4种潜在状态：约半数儿童处于非成瘾易感性状态，五分之一处于耐受状态，六分之一处于戒断反应状态，七分之一处于高成瘾易感性状态。相较于五年级，六年级儿童的高成瘾易感性与耐受状态检出率均更高；且在两个年级中，男孩的高成瘾易感性与戒断反应状态检出率均高于女孩，而女孩……