Prevalence of video gaming disorder in Saudi Arabia: a school-based national study

• Published in: Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association
• Main Authors: Amjad Alfaleh, Abrar Alzaher, Abdullah Alkattan, Khaled Alabdulkareem, Mona H. Ibrahim
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: SpringerOpen 2024
• Subjects: Gaming disorder; Video gaming; School adolescents; Addiction; Saudi Arabia; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s42506-024-00165-9; https://doaj.org/article/b1f5c54c080b4dfe907610511e2d9a7e

Abstract Background Video gaming is a popular leisure activity among adolescents. Those who play excessively are in danger of educational and social drawbacks and may become addicted to video gaming. Several published studies determined the prevalence of GD among children in specific Saudi regions. However, the current study assessed the national prevalence of video gaming disorder (GD) and its risk factors among school students in Saudi Arabia. Methods A school-based survey was conducted among adolescents in all regions of Saudi Arabia during the academic year 2021–2022. A multistage stratified cluster sampling technique was used to select the school students. An Arabic-validated version of the 9-item dichotomous (yes/no) GD Scale based on the DSM-5 criteria was used to determine GD prevalence among the students. The score ranged from zero to nine (0–9). Participants who scored five or more were deemed as having GD. Students who scored less than five were classified as normal gamers (score 0–1) or risky gamers (score 2–4). Results We recruited 5332 school students. Their mean age was 15.5 ± 1.7 years, and almost half of them were males (50.7%). According to the GD score, the prevalence of normal gamers was 39.08% (N = 1714), risky gamers 40.47% (N = 1775), and those with GD was, 20.45% (N = 897). Logistic regression was performed to determine the association between video gaming disorder and all the gathered variables, which include age, educational grade, sex, types of video gaming, and categories of video games played. The results showed that nationality, age, educational grade, sex, using only mobile devices to play, and playing puzzle and sports games were not associated with video gaming disorder. On the other hand, it was revealed that using tablets, game consoles, PCs; having multiple devices; and playing online, fighting, car racing, war, and adventure games were significantly linked to GD. Conclusion The prevalence of GD was 20.45% among Saudi school students who play video games. Utilizing more than ...