Study On Pathological Internet Use And Its Risk Factors Among Students Of Vocational School In Loudi City

Objectives: To describe the general information of internet use and theincidence of Pathological Internet Use(PIU) among students of vocationalschool in Loudi City, to study the mental, social, behavioral factors ofpathological users, to explore the major risk factors of PIU, and toprovide evidences and suggestions for PIU control.Methods: Total 961 students of vocational schools were sampled fromfour colleges/schools of Loudi City by stratified cluster sampling. Theywere investigated using self-designed questionnaire. 961 internet userswere measured in the study by Symptom Check List 90(SCL-90), SocialDisability Screening Schedule(SDSS), Typical Coping StyleQuestionnaire, School Life Satisfaction Rating Questionnaire foradolescents about their behavior of on-net, condition of psychologicalhealth, way of coping, degree of school life satisfaction, and at the sametime the 961 internet users were diagnosed to make sure the incidence ofPathological Internet Use using the Intemet Addiction Disorder DiagnoseQuestionnaire. The data were compared and analyzed between PIU andnormal groups. All data were analyzed by windows for SPSS 13.0.Results: Among those 961 students, 56.4% of them choose weekendsor holidays, and 86.4% of them choose net-bar to do the internet surfing.For them, keeping in touch with their classmates and acquaintances topsthe list of their purposes of surfing. The incidence of P1U of the samplewas 13.6% (male 16.1%, female 11.2%). The average age was17.49±1.86. After comparing and analyzing the data between PIU andnormal groups, the author concludes that the differences between themhave statistical meaning. There were significant differences in sex, family type, one-child or not, monthly expense, the interesting of speciality,on-line time, purposes of internet surfing (such as making net friends,playing net games, killing time or not), behavior of on-line, conditions ofpsychological health (SCL-90 score), passive way of coping score, thedegree of school life satisfaction score and social disability score.Conclusions: The major risk factors of PIU are related to single-parentfamily, no interesting of speciality, low score of school life satisfaction,higher score in phobia and paranoid rating of SCL-90, wonderfulexperience of passing the time quickly on internet. School, family andsociety should pay special attention to PIU among students of vocationalschools.