ABSTRACT
Background and objective Video games have become a popular source of entertainment among children and adolescents, not only targeting the young generation but also increasingly popular among older demographics as well. This study aimed to assess the association between video game addiction and depression, anxiety, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among children and adolescents in Saudi Arabia. Materials and methods This was a cross-sectional study involving Saudi adolescents aged 12-16 years. A self-administered online survey was distributed on social media (Twitter, WhatsApp, and Snapchat). The survey addressed sociodemographic characteristics (i.e., age, gender, area of residence city, etc.). Arabic versions of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (PHQ-GAD7), the ADHD Rating Scale-IV (ADHD-RS), and the seven-item Game Addiction Scale (GAS-7) questionnaires were distributed as well, including Arabic terms for depression, anxiety, and ADHD. Results A total of 393 surveys were completed (males: 58.3% vs. females: 41.7%). Of note, 63.1% of the respondents reported playing video games every day with an average of more than five hours of gaming time per day (25.2%). The prevalence of video game addiction was 62.1%. Independent risk factors of video game addiction included being young in age, playing video games every day, playing more than three hours per day, and playing multiplayer games. Furthermore, our findings suggest that a higher video game addiction score is correlated with higher scores in inattention, anxiety, and depression. Conclusion This study found a high prevalence of video game addiction among Saudi children and adolescents. Excessive video game playing negatively influences mental health and leads to issues including anxiety, depression, and ADHD. Also, younger males with an increased rate of regular playtime were more likely to exhibit video game addiction in comparison to the rest of the population. Further research is required to more comprehensively assess the prevalence rate of video game addiction and its effect on the mental health of the younger generation within the region.
ABSTRACT
Aim: Different students use different learning styles and acquire knowledge from various sources during their medical college learning journey. Every student has a preference for a certain sensory mode to receive and process all acquired information. Identifying learning styles among different students can help students try to strengthen their preferred learning style and improve other nonpreferred learning styles. Our objective is to assess the preferred sensory modality and the learning preferences by utilizing the VARK questionnaire in medical faculty students at Imam Mohammed Bin Saud Islamic University (IMBSU) and the influence of gender and its relation to academic achievements. Methodology: A survey was distributed to medical students of IMBSU in Riyadh. VARK questionnaire was used to assess the learning preference. Other questions regarding demographic data were also included in the same questionnaire. Results: Of the 146 students, 113 students completed the questionnaire. Of them, 95 (84.1%) were males, and 18 (15.9%) were females. The multimodal learning style was preferred by 70% of the respondents, with the remaining 30% having a unimodal style preference. The aural (A) and the kinesthetic (K) styles were the most preferred unimodal styles. Overall, the most common style was the quad-modal (VARK type 2) style, with 21.20% having this preference. Conclusion: No statistically significant differences were observed between male and female students concerning their learning preferences. The participants' preferred learning style or learning model was also observed to have no statistically significant impact on GPA and academic performance.
