Internet addiction in Gulf countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis / Abdullah Murhaf Al-Khani [et al.]
Bibliogr.: p. 608-610. - Abstr. eng. - DOI: https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.2021.00057
In: Journal of Behavioral Addictions. - ISSN 2062-5871, eISSN 2063-5303. - 2021. 10. évf. 3. sz., p. 601-610. : ill.
Background and aims: The prevalence of internet addiction (IA) varies widely in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (4%-82.6%). We aimed to assess the quality of IA studies from the GCC and pool their data to get an accurate estimate of the problem of IA in the region. Methods: A systematic review of available studies was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials were systematically searched; studies conducted in GCC countries (i.e., Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) with a validated instrument for internet addiction assessment were eligible. Ten studies were eligible for the systematic review, all of which were included in the meta-analysis. The Newcastle Ottawa Scale was used for quality assessment. Results: Nine out of ten of the included studies had either adolescent and/or young adult participants (age < 25). Two studies were of ?good? quality, six were of ?satisfactory? quality, and two were of ?unsatisfactory? quality. The pooled internet addiction prevalence was 33%; it was significantly higher among females than males (male 5 24%, female 5 48%, P 5 0.05) and has significantly increased over time (P < 0.05). Discussion and conclusions: One in every three individuals in GCC countries was deemed to be addicted to the internet, according to Young?s Internet Addiction Test. A root cause analysis focusing on family structure, environment, and religious practices is needed to identify modifiable risk factors. Kulcsszavak: Gulf Cooperation Council, internet addiction, prevalence