Comparing the Health Behavior of Addicted and Non- Addicted Adolescent Students Towards Online Gaming

Abstract

Background: A comparative study to assess the health behavior of addicted and non- addicted adolescent students towards playing online games in selected school in Bhubaneswar. Objectives: To find out the health behavior of addicted and non-addicted adolescents to online game and to compare the level of health behavior of addicted and non-addicted adolescents and to find out the association of level of health behavior addicted and non-addicted adolescents to online game with selected socio demographic variable. Design: Quantitative research approach with descriptive research deign was adopted Method - Total 100samples were taken who met the inclusion criteria in which 50 from addicted group and 50 from non-addicted were selected by using simple random sampling technique. Setting of the study was DAV public school, Bhubaneswar. Results: Majority of the participants (90%) and 78% were in 13 -15 years in addicted and non -addicted respectively. Majority participants (72%) of the addicted group are male in addicted group where as in non- addicted group more than half (54%) were female. In relation to class, wise distribution more than half of participants (58%) was from 9th standard class in addicted group where as in non- addicted group, (52%) were in 9th class. with regard as type of family, majority 78% were belonging from nuclear family where as in non-addicted group (54%) were in nuclear family. In relation to occupation of fathers, more than half of participants (66%) fathers were service man in addicted group and in non- addicted group more than half (66%) were business man. participants’ mother (42%) was service holder in addicted group and in non- addicted group majority of the participants mothers (80%) were house wife. Majority participants (90%) started playing online game at the age group of 11-15 years in addicted group and in non- addicted group (70%) are started playing online game from the same age group. Half of the participants (50%) were playing online games 3 hours per day in addicted group. In non- addicted group majority (78%) were playing 1 hour per day. All participants have abnormal health behavior in addicted group where as in non- addicted adolescents’ majority (82%) had normal health behavior and only (18%) had abnormal health behavior. The health behavior between addicted group was more than non-addicted group, Age, gender, type of family, occupation of father, occupation of mother, sources of online gaming, duration of online gaming are statistically significant with health behavior regarding online gaming as p values are 0.049, 0.004, 0.002, 0.0014, 0.027, 0.001 and 0.0001 respectively which were<0.05 in both addicted and non- addicted adolescent students. Conclusion: Based on the study findings addicted adolescent students have more abnormal health behaviour than non-addicted adolescents. There is a significant association between the health behaviour regarding online gaming with selected demographic variables.