Validation of the Greek version of the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire - Short Form (PIUQ-SF-6)

Authors

  • Panagoula Aivali Postgraduate Course of Science of Stress and Health Promotion, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
  • Vasiliki Efthymiou University Research Institute of Maternal and Child Health & Precision Medicine and UNESCO Chair on Adolescent Health Care, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital
  • Artemis K. Tsitsika Adolescent Health Unit, Second Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "P. & A. Kyriakou" Children's Hospital
  • Dimitrios Vlachakis University Research Institute of Maternal and Child Health & Precision Medicine and UNESCO Chair on Adolescent Health Care, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens Lab of Molecular Endocrinology, Center of Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens
  • George P. Chrousos University Research Institute of Maternal and Child Health & Precision Medicine and UNESCO Chair on Adolescent Health Care, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital
  • Christina Kanaka?Gantenbein Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Center for Rare Pediatric Endocrine Diseases, First Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital
  • Flora Bacopoulou University Research Institute of Maternal and Child Health & Precision Medicine and UNESCO Chair on Adolescent Health Care, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14806/ej.26.1.978

Keywords:

PIUQ, Greek, adolescents, problematic internet use, internet, addiction, questionnaire, validation, computer, Young’s diagnostic questionnaire, adolescent computer addiction test

Abstract

Internet is a necessary tool of everyday routine, however, concerns about the development of abnormal behaviours in relation to its use by adolescents are constantly growing. The need of brief screening tools for problematic internet use in teenagers in Greece is imperative. The purpose of this study was to validate the 6-item short form of the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ-SF-6) in a Greek sample of adolescents.

The sample consisted of 200 adolescents (55.0% males, 61.6% high school students, 38.4% junior high school students) who completed the study’s questionnaires i.e., a demographic questionnaire, the PIUQ-SF-6, the Young’s Diagnostic Questionnaire (YDQ) and the Adolescent Computer Addiction Test (ACAT).

The internal consistency of the Greek version of PIUQ-SF-6 was sufficient and acceptable (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient a = 0.80). Confirmatory Factor Analysis was significant, and goodness-of-fit was adequate. For establishing convergent validity, Pearson’s and Spearman’s correlation coefficients were calculated between the PIUQ-SF-6 and ACAT scales and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis (between PIUQ-SF-6 and YDQ) indicated an excellent accuracy.

The Greek version of the PIUQ-SF-6 demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties (reliability and validity) and is recommended as a reliable screening tool for problematic internet use in Greek adolescents.

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Published

2021-08-23

Issue

Vol. 26: Special issue to Biostatistics and Mathematical Modelling in Bioinformatics

Section

Research Papers

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