Internet AddictionNCT06205004
Prevalence of Internet Addiction and it's Effects on Psychological Well-being of Adults in Hong Kong
An observational study of Internet Addiction, run by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University at 1 site in Hong Kong.
Trial summary
The goal of this quantitative study is to learn about the the prevalence of internet addiction and its effects on psychological well-being of adults in Hong Kong. The main question it aims to answer is: What is the prevalence of internet addiction and its effects on psychological well-being of adults in Hong Kong… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 40 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Internet Addiction
- What is being tested?
- Questionnaires
- How many people
- 298 participants
- Where
- 1 siteHong Kong
- Study dates
- 19 May 2023to 30 Jun 2025
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 40 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Study population: In terms of population size, in Hong Kong, young adults occupied 26.4%-28.2% among the total population, which comparatively appeared to be a greater group than adolescents aged from 13 to 17 (3.8%). Moreover, as fertility and birth rate in Hong Kong continued to shrank to lowerst in 56 years due to multiple factors, it is estimated that the whole population is aging and adults would be the main population in these few decades. Besides, according to the Labour Force Census, as at 2021, the highest labour force participation rate falls in age group of 25-44. Being a large population and labour force in Hong Kong, the IA behaviour of young adults are crucial to maintain productivity and social functioning. Hence this study will focus on studying young adults.
Who may be able to join
- Adults aged 18-40
- Resided in Hong Kong
- Can speak Cantonese and write Chinese
Who cannot join
- Self-reported to have identified cognitive problems and communication problems
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Hong Kong1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Katherine Lam
Hong Kong, Hong Kong,China, 0000
Katherine Lam, Phd
About this study
The goal of this quantitative study is to learn about the the prevalence of internet addiction and its effects on psychological well-being of adults in Hong Kong. The main question it aims to answer is:
- What is the prevalence of internet addiction and its effects on psychological well-being of adults in Hong Kong
Participants will be invited to complete a set of questionnaire that includes assessment on their level of Internet use, depression, anxiety, sleep quality, QOL together with basic demographic data in the current situation of COVID with popularity of Metaverse..
Read the detailed description
Internet addiction (IA) appeared to become serious issues since the emergence of Internet over the decades. The definition of Internet Penetration Rate (IPR) is the percentage of the entire population who has Internet usage. As of July 2022, Denmark, the UAE, and Ireland had the highest IPR, all recording 99% of their population accessing the internet. While in Hong Kong, it has reached 93.6%, not far from the first in Asia - South Korea (98%). The widespread use has shown the popularity of Internet is skyrocketing through the years.
Despite there are several studies conducted on IA from the West, the results might not be not applicable in adults in Hong Kong due to various reasons such as policies against COVID and cultural difference as lifestyle, living and social environment, family relationship style. Those might have potential influence on the engagement in physical and social activities and involvement in Internet. In addition to the emergence of Metaverse, situations, policies and people's attitude towards COVID might have changed drastically and affect the prevalence of IA in Hong Kong adult. To conclude, the effect of COVID and Metaverse on the prevalence of IA in adults in Hong Kong and the mechanisms/reasons behind is unclear.
In the present study, the investigators aim to investigate the prevalence and effects of IA on the psychosocial well-being among adults in Hong Kong by measuring the level of Internet use, depression, anxiety, sleep quality, QOL together with basic demographic data in the current situation of COVID with popularity of Metaverse.
- Conditions
- Internet Addiction
- Being tested
- Questionnaires
- Keywords
- Internet Addiction, Quality of life, Young Adults
- Medical subject headings
- Internet Addiction Disorder
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
QuestionnairesOther
In the present study, the investigators aim to investigate the prevalence and effects of IA on the psychosocial well-being among adults in Hong Kong by measuring the level of Internet use, depression, anxiety, sleep quality, QOL together with basic demographic data in the current situation of COVID with popularity of Metaverse.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Young adults in HK | questionnaire based study Receives: Other: Questionnaires |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
prevalence of Internet Addiction
Internet Addiction Test (IAT-20) developed by Young, 1998
Measured: at day 1
Secondary outcomes (4)
Overall Quality of Life
Short-Form Six-Dimension (SF-6D) by Professor John Brazier and Jennifer Roberts
Measured: at day 1
Depression
Center for Epidemiologic Studes Depression scale (CES-D) by Radloff, 1977
Measured: at day 1
Anxiety
Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) by Spitzer et al, 2006
Measured: at day 1
Sleep Quality
The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) by Buysse et al, 1989
Measured: at day 1
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted12 Jan 2024
- Study start19 May 2023
- Primary completion31 Dec 2024 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Jun 2025 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Internet AddictionStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Enrolment
- 298 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06205004
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Prevalence of IA in Adults
- Status last verified
- Nov 2023
- First submitted
- 20 Nov 2023
- Last updated
- 12 Jan 2024
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: All personal data will only be accessable within the research team, for research purpose.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 12 Jan 2024. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Prevalence of Internet Addiction and it's Effects on Psychological Well-being of Adults in Hong Kong
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06205004
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Prevalence of IA in Adults
- Conditions
- Internet Addiction
- Keywords
- Internet Addiction, Quality of life, Young Adults
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Unknown status
- Enrolment
- 298 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 19 May 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Dec 2024 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Jun 2025 (estimated)
- First posted
- 12 Jan 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this quantitative study is to learn about the the prevalence of internet addiction and its effects on psychological well-being of adults in Hong Kong. The main question it aims to answer is:
- What is the prevalence of internet addiction and its effects on psychological well-being of adults in Hong Kong
Participants will be invited to complete a set of questionnaire that includes assessment on their level of Internet use, depression, anxiety, sleep quality, QOL together with basic demographic data in the current situation of COVID with popularity of Metaverse..
Detailed description
Internet addiction (IA) appeared to become serious issues since the emergence of Internet over the decades. The definition of Internet Penetration Rate (IPR) is the percentage of the entire population who has Internet usage. As of July 2022, Denmark, the UAE, and Ireland had the highest IPR, all recording 99% of their population accessing the internet. While in Hong Kong, it has reached 93.6%, not far from the first in Asia - South Korea (98%). The widespread use has shown the popularity of Internet is skyrocketing through the years.
Despite there are several studies conducted on IA from the West, the results might not be not applicable in adults in Hong Kong due to various reasons such as policies against COVID and cultural difference as lifestyle, living and social environment, family relationship style. Those might have potential influence on the engagement in physical and social activities and involvement in Internet. In addition to the emergence of Metaverse, situations, policies and people's attitude towards COVID might have changed drastically and affect the prevalence of IA in Hong Kong adult. To conclude, the effect of COVID and Metaverse on the prevalence of IA in adults in Hong Kong and the mechanisms/reasons behind is unclear.
In the present study, the investigators aim to investigate the prevalence and effects of IA on the psychosocial well-being among adults in Hong Kong by measuring the level of Internet use, depression, anxiety, sleep quality, QOL together with basic demographic data in the current situation of COVID with popularity of Metaverse.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Young adults in HK | – | Other: Questionnairesquestionnaire based study |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 40 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
- Study population
- In terms of population size, in Hong Kong, young adults occupied 26.4%-28.2% among the total population, which comparatively appeared to be a greater group than adolescents aged from 13 to 17 (3.8%). Moreover, as fertility and birth rate in Hong Kong continued to shrank to lowerst in 56 years due to multiple factors, it is estimated that the whole population is aging and adults would be the main population in these few decades. Besides, according to the Labour Force Census, as at 2021, the highest labour force participation rate falls in age group of 25-44. Being a large population and labour force in Hong Kong, the IA behaviour of young adults are crucial to maintain productivity and social functioning. Hence this study will focus on studying young adults.
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Adults aged 18-40
- Resided in Hong Kong
- Can speak Cantonese and write Chinese
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Self-reported to have identified cognitive problems and communication problems
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| QuestionnairesIn the present study, the investigators aim to investigate the prevalence and effects of IA on the psychosocial well-being among adults in Hong Kong by measuring the level of Internet use, depression, anxiety, sleep quality, QOL together with basic demographic data in the current situation of COVID with popularity of Metaverse. | Other | Young adults in HK |
Primary outcome
prevalence of Internet Addiction
Time frame: at day 1
Internet Addiction Test (IAT-20) developed by Young, 1998
4 secondary outcomes
Overall Quality of Life
Time frame: at day 1
Depression
Time frame: at day 1
Anxiety
Time frame: at day 1
Sleep Quality
Time frame: at day 1
Results and safety
Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 12 Jan 2024.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. All personal data will only be accessable within the research team, for research purpose.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Internet Addiction, run by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University at 1 site in Hong Kong.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 12 Jan 2024. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Hong Kong. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
Results are not available in the source record.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Ka Wai Katherine Lam, Phd (27666420, kw-katherine.lam@polyu.edu.hk), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
prevalence of Internet Addiction (time frame: at day 1). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 12 Jan 2024; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 7 Nov 2026.