A Pilot Study on the Association of Internet Use with Sports Practice and Sex in Italian Adolescents

Overview

Journal Healthcare (Basel)

Specialty Health Services

Date 2023 Dec 8

PMID 38063643

Authors

Stefania Toselli

Alessia Grigoletto

Luciana Zaccagni

Emanuela Gualdi-Russo

Natascia Rinaldo

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The use of the Internet has several positive functions, but at the same time it also represents a health risk, especially for adolescents. The increased use of the Internet in recent decades has also been linked to an increase in problematic Internet use, which has now become a global social issue. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Internet use increased even more and influenced adolescents' habits, leading to an increase in sedentary behaviors. The aim of this study was to understand whether Internet addiction differed between sportive and nonsportive adolescents and between males and females. We analyzed two samples of adolescents, with different behaviors regarding sports practice. Internet addiction was assessed by the administration of a validated questionnaire (UADI) via an online survey. Although all the mean values of both the subgroups fell into the "non-pathological" category, differences between sports groups and sexes were found, with different trends for each one of the five dimensions of Internet use. In conclusion, sportive adolescents generally showed less severe Internet addiction; therefore, encouraging sports practice can help to fight wrong habits related to a sedentary lifestyle. The promotion of sports practice in these ages is therefore a priority aspect, especially in females, who showed a general predisposition to escape from reality in comparison to males.

Citing Articles

Reduced Physical Activity and Increased Weight Status in Children and Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review.

Zaccagni L, Gualdi-Russo E Children (Basel). 2025; 12(2).

PMID: 40003280 PMC: 11854173. DOI: 10.3390/children12020178.

A Longitudinal Study on Body Image Perception and Size among Italian Early Adolescents: Changes over Time and Discrepancies between Genders.

Gualdi-Russo E, Masotti S, Rinaldo N, De Luca F, Toselli S, Mazzoni G Nutrients. 2024; 16(20).

PMID: 39458435 PMC: 11510257. DOI: 10.3390/nu16203439.

References

Belfort E, Miller L . Relationship Between Adolescent Suicidality, Self-Injury, and Media Habits. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2018; 27(2):159-169. DOI: 10.1016/j.chc.2017.11.004. View

Toselli S, Grigoletto A, Zaccagni L, Rinaldo N, Badicu G, Grosz W . Body image perception and body composition in early adolescents: a longitudinal study of an Italian cohort. BMC Public Health. 2021; 21(1):1381. PMC: 8274004. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11458-5. View

Costigan S, Barnett L, Plotnikoff R, Lubans D . The health indicators associated with screen-based sedentary behavior among adolescent girls: a systematic review. J Adolesc Health. 2013; 52(4):382-92. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.07.018. View

Blinka L, Sablaturova N, Sevcikova A, Husarova D . Social constraints associated with excessive internet use in adolescents: the role of family, school, peers, and neighbourhood. Int J Public Health. 2020; 65(8):1279-1287. DOI: 10.1007/s00038-020-01462-8. View

Bell M, Ghatora R, Retsidou M, Chatzigianni E, Klentrou P . Energy Expenditure, Dietary Energy Intake, and Nutritional Supplements in Adolescent Volleyball Athletes versus Nonathletic Controls. Nutrients. 2023; 15(7). PMC: 10096554. DOI: 10.3390/nu15071788. View

Wang K, Li Y, Yang Y, Zhang T, Luo J . The role of loneliness and learning burnout in the regulation of physical exercise on internet addiction in Chinese college students. BMC Public Health. 2023; 23(1):1994. PMC: 10571347. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16783-5. View

Restrepo A, Scheininger T, Clucas J, Alexander L, Salum G, Georgiades K . Problematic internet use in children and adolescents: associations with psychiatric disorders and impairment. BMC Psychiatry. 2020; 20(1):252. PMC: 7251845. DOI: 10.1186/s12888-020-02640-x. View

Reed P, Davies A, Evans K, Osborne L . Longitudinal relationship between problematic internet use with loneliness during and after COVID-19 social restrictions: Short title: Internet use and loneliness. Psychiatry Res. 2023; 323:115148. DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115148. View

Zhang Y, Hou Z, Wu S, Li X, Hao M, Wu X . The relationship between internet addiction and aggressive behavior among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: Anxiety as a mediator. Acta Psychol (Amst). 2022; 227:103612. PMC: 9091340. DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103612. View

10.

Aghasi M, Matinfar A, Golzarand M, Salari-Moghaddam A, Ebrahimpour-Koujan S . Internet Use in Relation to Overweight and Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cross-Sectional Studies. Adv Nutr. 2019; 11(2):349-356. PMC: 7442323. DOI: 10.1093/advances/nmz073. View

11.

Alimoradi Z, Lin C, Brostrom A, Bulow P, Bajalan Z, Griffiths M . Internet addiction and sleep problems: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Med Rev. 2019; 47:51-61. DOI: 10.1016/j.smrv.2019.06.004. View

12.

Lin C, Yu S . Adolescent Internet usage in Taiwan: exploring gender differences. Adolescence. 2008; 43(170):317-31. View

13.

Brownlie E, Beitchman J, Chaim G, Wolfe D, Rush B, Henderson J . Early Adolescent Substance Use and Mental Health Problems and Service Utilisation in a School-based Sample. Can J Psychiatry. 2018; 64(2):116-125. PMC: 6405806. DOI: 10.1177/0706743718784935. View

14.

Lin F, Zhou Y, Du Y, Qin L, Zhao Z, Xu J . Abnormal white matter integrity in adolescents with internet addiction disorder: a tract-based spatial statistics study. PLoS One. 2012; 7(1):e30253. PMC: 3256221. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0030253. View

15.

Barrense-Dias Y, Berchtold A, Akre C, Suris J . The relation between internet use and overweight among adolescents: a longitudinal study in Switzerland. Int J Obes (Lond). 2015; 40(1):45-50. DOI: 10.1038/ijo.2015.146. View

16.

Barnow S, Limberg A, Stopsack M, Spitzer C, Grabe H, Freyberger H . Dissociation and emotion regulation in borderline personality disorder. Psychol Med. 2011; 42(4):783-94. DOI: 10.1017/S0033291711001917. View

17.

Milani L, Osualdella D, Di Blasio P . Quality of interpersonal relationships and problematic Internet use in adolescence. Cyberpsychol Behav. 2009; 12(6):681-4. DOI: 10.1089/cpb.2009.0071. View

18.

Jassogne C, Zdanowicz N . Real or Virtual Relationships: Does It Matter to Teens?. Psychiatr Danub. 2020; 32(Suppl 1):172-175. View

19.

Cheng C, Lau Y, Luk J . Social Capital-Accrual, Escape-From-Self, and Time-Displacement Effects of Internet Use During the COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Period: Prospective, Quantitative Survey Study. J Med Internet Res. 2020; 22(12):e22740. PMC: 7772052. DOI: 10.2196/22740. View

20.

Belanger R, Akre C, Berchtold A, Michaud P . A U-shaped association between intensity of Internet use and adolescent health. Pediatrics. 2011; 127(2):e330-5. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2010-1235. View