ABSTRACT
Background: Internet addiction (IA) has a significant negative impact on students. The condition of students with IA can be improved by exercise, which has been identified as an effective intervention strategy. However, the relative effectiveness of different exercise types and the most effective ones remains unknown. This study presents a network meta-analysis to compare six exercise types (team sport, double sport, single sport, team + double sport, team + single sport, and team + double + single sport) based on their effectiveness in reducing Internet addiction and maintaining mental health. Methods: Systematic searches were conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wan Fang, CQVIP, Web of Science, CBM, EBSCO, APA PsycNet, and Scopus, and all relevant studies from the beginning to 15 July 2022 were included on. According to the Cochrane Handbook 5.1.0 Methodological Quality Evaluation Criteria, the listed studies' bias risk was assessed, while the network meta-analysis was performed using STATA 16.0. Results: A total of 39 randomized controlled trials that met all inclusion criteria including 2,408 students with IA were examined. The meta-analysis results showed that compared with the control group, exercising significantly improved loneliness, anxiety, depression, and interpersonal sensitivity (p < 0.05). Specifically, the network meta-analysis discovered that the single sport, team sport, double sport, team + double sport, and team + double + single sport had significant effects on improving Internet addiction as compared to the respective control group (p < 0.05); the single sport, team sport, and double sport tend to be effective compared with controls in improving mental health (p < 0.05). Compared with the other five types of sports, the double sport was ranked first and showed the greatest potential to be the best choice (cluster ranking value = 3699.73) in improving Internet addiction (SUCRA = 85.5) and mental health (SUCRA = 93.1). Conclusion: Exercise could be suggested as the best alternative when treating IA in students, based on the extensive positive effects of exercise on IA, anxiety, depression, interpersonal sensitivity, loneliness, and mental health in IA students. Double sport may be the best type of exercise for Internet-addicted students. However, to further examine the benefits of exercise for IA students, more research is required. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=377035, identifier: CRD42022377035.
ABSTRACT
A mediation model was constructed to clarify the relationship and mechanisms linking psychological distress to problematic smartphone use (PSU), focusing on the mediating role of metacognitions about smartphone use. A questionnaire method was used to investigate psychological distress, metacognitions about smartphone use, and problematic smartphone use among 664 college students. The results showed that (1) psychological distress had a significant positive predictive effect on problematic smartphone use, and (2) there were differences in the underlying mechanisms linking different types of psychological distress to problematic smartphone use. Specifically, negative metacognition about smartphone use partially mediated the relationship between depression and problematic smartphone use, whereas anxiety could act on problematic smartphone use through the parallel mediation of positive metacognition about smartphone use and negative metacognition about smartphone use, with the latter having a greater positive mediating effect than the former. These findings reveal the mechanism of action linking different types of psychological distress to problematic smartphone use from the perspective of the cognitive-behavioral model of pathological Internet use, which has implications for the prevention and intervention of problematic smartphone use among college students.
ABSTRACT
AIMS: Over the last ten years, several studies investigating the role of metacognitions in addictive behaviors, including technological addictions, have been published. Problematic Smartphone use has been conceptualized as a behavioural addiction and a psychometrically sound self-report measure to assess metacognitions about PSU has been recently published. The objective of this study was to evaluate some psychometric properties (e.g., factor structure, reliability, and validity) of the Chinese Metacognitions about Smartphone Use Questionnaire (Chinese MSUQ). METHODS: A sample of 698 undergraduates (Fâ¯=â¯54.70%, mean ageâ¯=â¯19.89⯱â¯1.38â¯years) were enrolled in China. An exploratory factor analysis was first performed in a randomly allocated subsample of 349 participants. A confirmatory factor analysis was then computed on a second subsample of 349 participants to test its fitting with the identified factor structure. Internal consistency and predictive validity were verified. RESULTS: The result of exploratory factor analysis showed a 2-factor structure, which consists of positive metacognitions concerning emotional and cognitive regulation and social advantages of smartphone use (MSUQ-PM) and negative metacognitions about uncontrollability and cognitive harm of smartphone use (MSUQ-NM). The confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the 2-factor structure of Chinese MSUQ had appropriate fit. Cronbach's Alphas ranged from 0.90 to 0.92. Additionally, regression analysis showed that MSUQ-PM and MSUQ-NM positively predicted PSU. Notably, MSUQ-NM is a stronger predictor of PSU compared with MSUQ-PM, with a rescaled importance of 86.36%. CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese MSUQ has appropriate psychometric properties, suggesting it is a reliable instrument to assess metacognitions about smartphone use in the Chinese context.
