Internet Gaming Disorder Among Hong Kong Adolescents: Examining The Socially-Based Intergenerational Transmission Theories

Introduction Adolescent Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) causes severe physical, psychological, and social harms. Family and parents play critical roles in adolescent IGD. Based on the socially-based intergenerational transmission theories, parental IGD may increase the risk of adolescent IGD directly and indirectly.

Objectives The primary objective is to test the longitudinal association between parental IGD and adolescent IGD, after controlling for covariates at personal, interpersonal and familial levels

Subjects and methods This study is a two-year 3-wave longitudinal study. Adolescents will be recruited from Secondary schools using stratified random sampling method. One parent of each adolescent will be invited. Students will finish a set of validated psychological scales in class-room settings, while parents will finish their questionnaires through telephone interviews at Time1, Time2, and Time3.

Outcomes and measures The primary outcome is adolescent IGD symptoms based on DSM-5 IGD symptoms checklist. The secondary outcomes include time spent on Internet-related activities including gaming and gaming attitudes of adolescents.

Data analysis Univariate and multivariate linear/logistic regression analyses will be conducted to test the associations between parental factors (including parental IGD, parental modeling, and parenting practices) and adolescent IGD.