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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Mental Health
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1498466
This article is part of the Research Topic The Intersection of Psychology, Healthy Behaviors, and its Outcomes View all 43 articles

Analysis of Deviant Behaviors and Family Functions in the Population at Risk of Internet Addiction among Primary and Secondary School Students in Chengdu city, Sichuan province of China

Provisionally accepted
Xiujuan Zang Xiujuan Zang 1*XI HUANG XI HUANG 1*Qiong Chen Qiong Chen 1*Yan Song Yan Song 1*Xixi Jiang Xixi Jiang 1*Junxia Zhou Junxia Zhou 1Xiufang Zhao Xiufang Zhao 1*Li Zhao Li Zhao 2*
  • 1 West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
  • 2 West China Fourth Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: This study explores the correlation between internet addiction (IA) and deviant behaviors among primary and secondary school students. It analyzes the impact of family functional factors, such as family relationships, parent-child communication, and parental control, on IA. The findings aim to provide a scientific basis for educators and parents to develop targeted preventive and intervention measures.A cross-sectional survey was conducted using self-administered questionnaires among 8,816 students from five primary and secondary schools in Chengdu. The questionnaire included basic information about students and their families, Young's Internet Addiction Scale, Shek's Deviant Behavior Scale, and the Chinese Family Assessment Instrument (C-FAI). Chi-square tests and t-tests were used to compare differences between the at-risk group for internet addiction and the normal population. Statistically significant variables were extracted and included in the hierarchical regression model, with the level of significance set at α=0.05.The detection rate of IA risk among primary and secondary school students was 14.11%, and the detection rate of deviant behaviors in this group was 85.21%.Deviant behaviors such as deceit (r=0.201), running away from home (r=0.215), and damaging others' property (r=0.209) showed a weak correlation with the risk of internet addiction, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). The results of the hierarchical regression analysis showed that all five dimensions of family environment and delinquency scores positively predicted internet addiction. Specifically, the change in R² was 8.7% for mutual concern among family members and 9.7% for student delinquency behavior. Together, family environment and delinquency behavior explained 22.1% of the variance.Primary and secondary school students at risk of IA are more likely to exhibit deviant behaviors, which show a weak correlation with IA. Gender and grade level significantly impact the risk of IA, indicating that male students and those in higher grades require more attention. Strengthening family interventions, especially in areas of mutual communication, family conflict resolution, and parental control, can help prevent IA among primary and secondary school students.

    Keywords: Internet addiction, Deviant behavior, Family function, Primary and secondary school students, A Cross-sectional Survey Analysis

    Received: 19 Sep 2024; Accepted: 15 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Zang, HUANG, Chen, Song, Jiang, Zhou, Zhao and Zhao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Xiujuan Zang, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
    XI HUANG, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
    Qiong Chen, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
    Yan Song, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
    Xixi Jiang, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
    Xiufang Zhao, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
    Li Zhao, West China Fourth Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China

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