Parental and Child Factors Associated With Internet Addiction in Children

Background: Internet addiction has negative effects on psychological development, interpersonal relationships, and social adaptation in 10-year-old elementary school students. Objective: This study aimed to identify parental and child characteristics related to Internet addiction in lower-grade elementary school children. Methods: This study used a secondary data analysis. Data from the tenth Panel Study on Korean Children were used. In total, 1224 ten-year-old elementary school students were included in the analysis. The questionnaire included general, parental, and child characteristics. Results: Of all child participants, 18.5% were in the high-risk group for Internet addiction. Lower paternal and maternal spousal satisfaction, maternal education level of high school graduate or lower, and greater permissive parenting by the mother were associated with higher odds of Internet addiction among their children. Moreover, boys and children who spent more than an hour per day without adults showed higher odds of Internet addiction. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that the implementation of an intervention that improves parenting and family relationships and positively changes the environment in which children are brought up is necessary.