ArticlePeerJ2021
Association between problematic internet use and behavioral/emotional problems among Chinese adolescents: the mediating role of sleep disorders.
Article in PeerJ, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- The relationship between internet addiction and psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents: a meta-analysis.BMC psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Sleep disturbance and problematic internet use in adolescents with and without major depressive disorder: a comparative study.Irish journal of medical science · 2026Article
- Which exercise prescription is most effective for patients with sleep disorders?: a network meta-analysis of 30 randomized controlled trials.Sleep and biological rhythms · 2025Review
- Associations of 24-hour movement behaviors with emotional and behavioral problems among Chinese adolescents.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2025Article
- The Moderated Mediating Effects of Social Media Identity and Loneliness on the Relationship Between Problematic Internet Use and Mental Health in China: Nationwide Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- The Association Between Internet Addiction and Adolescents' Mental Health: A Meta-Analytic Review.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Adolescents with emotional and behavioural problems are at higher risk to become excessive or addicted Internet users: is this association moderated by gender?European journal of public health · 2024Article
- Longitudinal associations between problematic Internet use, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescents.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2023Article
- Association between academic pressure, NR3C1 gene methylation, and anxiety symptoms among Chinese adolescents: a nested case-control study.BMC psychiatry · 2023Article
- The interplay between social media use and problematic internet usage: Four behavioral patterns.Heliyon · 2023Article
- The association of FKBP5 gene methylation, adolescents' sex, and depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescents: a nested case-control study.BMC psychiatry · 2022Article
- Associations Between Adolescent Problematic Internet Use and Relationship Problems in Chinese Families: Findings from a Large-scale Survey.JMIR pediatrics and parenting · 2022Article
- Digital Addiction and Sleep.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Review
- The effect of internet addiction and smartphone addiction on sleep quality among Turkish adolescents.PeerJ · 2022Article
- Association Between Childhood Maltreatment,Frontiers in psychiatry · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundStudies that focus on the relationships of problematic Internet use (PIU), sleep disorders, and behavioral/emotional problems were limited. This study aimed to explore (1) the relationship between PIU and behavioral/emotional problems among Chinese adolescents and (2) whether sleep disorders mediate the relationship between PIU and behavioral/emotional problems.
methodsA total of 1,976 adolescents were recruited by cluster sampling from ten secondary schools in Guangzhou between January and April 2019, and 1,956 of them provided valid information (response rate: 98.9% ). Among them, 50.8% were males and the mean age was 13.6±1.5 years, ranging from 11 to 18 years. Data on behavioral/emotional problems, sleep disorders, and PIU were collected using a self-reported questionnaire. Linear regression models and mediation analyses were performed.
resultsOf the participants, 14.5% (284/1,956) reported moderate to severe PIU, and their average score for total difficulties was significantly higher than the score for average users (14.9±5.5 Vs 9.8±4.7). After adjusting for controlled variables, PIU was further proven to be positively related to elevated levels of behavioral/emotional problems (unstandardized
conclusionsAdolescents with problematic Internet habits were at higher risk of developing behavioral and emotional problems than their normal-use peers, and sleep disorders partially mediated the effect. Close attention and effective guidance for adolescents with PIU and behavioral/emotional problems were recommended for parents and schools.
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