Elsevier

Psychiatry Research

Volume 274, April 2019, Pages 322-329
Psychiatry Research

Exploring problematic internet use among non-latinx black and latinx youth using the problematic internet use questionnaire-short form (PIUQ-SF)

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2019.02.048Get rights and content

Highlights

  • The PIUQ-SF is valid and reliable to assess problematic internet use for non-Latinx black and latinx youth.

  • Female non-Latinx black youth were more likely to have problematic internet use.

  • Parental monitoring was negatively associated with youth's problematic internet use.

  • Sleep problems were positively related to youth's problematic internet use.

Abstract

Non-Latinx black and Latinx youth have reported more frequent Internet use compared to White youth, yet problematic Internet use among these groups of youth remains underexplored. This study aimed to validate the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire-Short Form (PIUQ-SF) and investigate the characteristics of problematic Internet use among non-Latinx black and Latinx youth. Cross-sectional data were collected from a convenience sample of 235 high school students in Southeastern Florida (Mean Age = 16.1; 69.2% non-Latinx black; 27.4% Latinx). Psychometric analyses supported the reliability and construct validity of the PIUQ-SF among non-Latinx black and Latinx youth. Latent profile analyses revealed that 37.2% of non-Latinx black youth and 25.4% of Latinx youth were identified as having problematic Internet use. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that less parental monitoring was linked to higher levels of problematic Internet use among non-Latinx black and Latinx youth. Further, sleep problems were positively related to problematic Internet use among non-Latinx black youth. The present findings provide insight into the problematic Internet use among these understudied minority groups in the literature and have important implications for research and practice with non-Latinx black and Latinx youth.

Introduction

Problematic Internet use refers to excessive and compulsive patterns of Internet use that leads to psychosocial impairments (Fineberg et al., 2018, Spada, 2014). Youth's problematic Internet use is an emerging behavioral concern internationally, and in the United States (U.S.). Across varying samples and measurements, the extant literature proposes that approximately 1% to 18% of American youth have problematic Internet use (Liu et al., 2011, Moreno et al., 2011). Most research on problematic Internet use among U.S. youth examined samples mainly comprised of White youth (Moreno et al., 2011, Jelenchick et al., 2014). Consequently, knowledge on problematic Internet use among traditionally underrepresented youth, such as non-Latinx black and Latinx youth, is limited. Studies investigating cross-cultural differences in Internet use suggested that compared to their White peers, non-Latinx black and Latinx youth use the Internet more frequently (Lenhart, 2015), and experience different psychosocial problems associated with Internet use (Carson et al., 2012). Considering potential differences in Internet use behaviors, it is imperative to explore whether problematic Internet use and known psychosocial issues associated with problematic Internet use among White youth are applied to non-Latinx black and Latinx youth.

A critical step to accurately assess problematic Internet use among non-Latinx black and Latinx youth is the validation of a standardized measure. Various measures for problematic Internet use have been developed, such as Young's Internet Addiction Test (Widyanto et al., 2011), the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (Meerkerk et al., 2009), and the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ; Demetrovics et al., 2008). Among these scales, the PIUQ has been widely used in research among cross-cultural populations (e.g., Fineberg et al., 2018, Laconi et al., 2018, Kelley and Gruber, 2010, Koronczai et al., 2011, Koronczai et al., 2017). Specifically, a short form of the PIUQ (PIUQ-SF) consisting of nine items has been validated to assess symptoms of problematic Internet use (e.g., losing control over Internet use, neglecting obligations due to Internet use, and obsessive Internet use) in samples of European and Chinese adolescents (Koronczai et al., 2011, Koronczai et al., 2017). However, to date, no study has validated this measure among Latinx and non-Latinx black youth.

Given the potential differences in Internet use behaviors between White and non-Latinx black/Latinx youth, validation of the PIUQ-SF with non-Latinx black and Latinx youth is fundamental before applying this measure to assess problematic Internet use among these youth. Compared to White youth, non-Latinx black and Latinx youth are less likely to access the Internet via a desktop computer at home and more likely to access the Internet via smartphones (Lenhart, 2015). Accessing the Internet via smartphones has been found to increase the risk of problematic Internet use (Škařupová et al., 2016). Further, non-Latinx black youth are more likely to use the Internet for video gaming in comparison to White youth (Lenhart, 2015), which may also increase the risk of developing problematic Internet use (Gunuc, 2015). On the contrary, Latinx youth are more likely to believe Internet use takes time away from other social activities compared to their White peers (Jones et al., 2009), indicating they may be less likely to engage in problematic Internet use. As differences in behaviors and attitudes toward Internet use may be related to problematic Internet use, an instrument validated among White youth may not account for cross-cultural differences among non-Latinx black and Latinx youth.

Similarly, the associates of problematic Internet use observed among general youth population may or may not be detected among non-Latinx black and Latinx youth. The extant literature indicates that problematic Internet use is associated with impaired physical health (e.g., sleep problems; Lam, 2014), mental health problems (e.g., depression and anxiety; Ko et al., 2012, Ho et al., 2014, Okwaraji et al., 2015), anger issue (e.g., Ko et al., 2009), and substance misuse (e.g., Anderson et al., 2017, Liu et al., 2011) across different youth populations. Problematic Internet use may contribute to these psychosocial problems; conversely, these correlates may serve as risk factors that initiate or exacerbate youth's problematic Internet use (Anderson et al., 2017, Dong et al., 2011). No study, however, has explored the associations between problematic Internet use and the aforementioned psychosocial problems specifically among non-Latinx black and Latinx youth. Carson et al. (2012) examined cross-cultural differences in Internet use and associated mental health issues in a large sample of American youth. They found that non-Latinx black youth with internalizing problems (e.g., mental distress and emotional difficulties) had lower levels of Internet use compared to White youth. However, Carson et al. (2012) only assessed psychosocial problems associated with Internet use rather than problematic Internet use. Consequently, it remains unclear whether psychosocial problems associated with problematic Internet use among non-Latinx black/Latinx youth are consistent with similar findings among general populations.

Parental monitoring has also been identified as an important factor related to youth's problematic Internet use (Anderson et al., 2017, Ding et al., 2017, Lin et al., 2009). Parental monitoring refers to parental knowledge of their children's whereabouts, peers, and activities (Stattin and Kerr, 2000). Prior studies have found that parental monitoring was related to a decrease in the amount of time youth spent on the Internet and lower levels of problematic Internet use (Bleakley et al., 2016). To date, the association between parental monitoring and problematic Internet use among non-Latinx black and Latinx youth remains understudied. White parents and parents with higher education have better knowledge of their children's Internet use (Anderson, 2016). That is to say, it is possible that youth from families of higher socioeconomic status (SES) may receive more parental monitoring related to their Internet use. Moreover, youth from families of low SES and non-Latinx black/Latinx youth are more likely to access the Internet via smartphones; while White youth and youth of higher SES are more likely to access the Internet via desktops at home (Lenhart, 2015). It is reasonable to assume that youth use the Internet via desktop at home receive more parental monitoring compared to those who access the Internet mainly via smartphones. Therefore, it is necessary to control for family SES when investigating the relationship between parental monitoring and youth's problematic Internet use.

To better understand problematic Internet use among non-Latinx black/Latinx youth, this study aimed to 1) validate the PIUQ-SF as a cross-culture measure, and 2) assess and characterize problematic Internet use among these youth. Prior studies have used either one standard deviation above the mean of the PIUQ score as the cutoff point (Demetrovics et al., 2008, Kelley and Gruber, 2010), or employed probabilistic modeling approach to identifying youth with problematic Internet use (Koronczai et al., 2011). For instance, Koronczei et al. (2011) classified a sample of European youth into two subgroups (i.e., problematic Internet use and non-problematic use) based on their PIUQ-SF scores and suggested a cutoff score of 22. However, this recommended threshold has yet to be tested to identify problematic Internet use among Latinx/non-Latinx black youth. To that end, latent profile analysis was used to identify youth with problematic Internet use in the current sample. Finally, the study examined the associations between psychosocial problems and problematic Internet use among the entire sample and the subsamples. Informed by prior research, this study investigated 1) whether adaption to the PIUQ-SF was needed to assess problematic Internet use among non-Latinx black and Latinx youth; 2) whether problematic Internet use was associated with psychosocial problems (i.e., depression, anxiety, anger, sleep problems, and substance misuse) as suggested in the extant literature for other youth; and 3) whether youth with problematic Internet use presented a lack of parental monitoring.

Section snippets

Study procedure and participants

Cross-sectional survey data were collected from 247 youths in an inner-city high school in Southeastern Florida. The researchers collaborated with the school administration and teachers to coordinate scheduled group meetings with students for data collection. Students who agreed to participate in the survey completed an online questionnaire through Qualtrics (2015) via their smartphones or tablet computers provided by the researchers. To maintain confidentiality, each participant was given an

Psychometric properties of the PIUQ-SF

The three-factor structure of the PIUQ-SF suggested in Koronczai et al. (2011) was tested. The three-factor model fitted the data adequately within the entire sample [χ2(24) = 36.75, p = 0.05, RMSEA = 0.048 [90%CI 0.006, 0.077], CFI = 0.98, TLI = 0.97, SRMR = 0.042], the non-Latinx black subsample [χ2(24) = 21.54, p = 0.06, RMSEA = 0.000 [90%CI 0, 0.056], CFI = 1.00, TLI = 1.01, SRMR = 0.035], and the Latinx subsample [χ2(24) = 33.52, p = 0.09, RMSEA = 0.079 [90%CI 0, 0.138], CFI = 0.95,

Discussion

Due to the lack of empirical evidence on the psychometric validity of standardized instruments for problematic Internet use among non-Latinx black and Latinx youth, we first examined the construct validity and reliability of the PIUQ-SF. Findings suggested that the PIUQ-SF demonstrated construct validity and internal consistency reliability in the sample of racial and ethnic minority youth in the U.S. This study provided preliminary, yet important findings in suggesting that the PIUQ-SF may be

Acknowledgment

This work was supported by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (grant number P20MD002288). The content of this report is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, or the National Institutes of Health.

The authors would like to acknowledge Mr. Arnaldo Gonzalez for his editing support and thank Noelle Granda of Reboot & Recover, Inc. who helped to

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