Socio-demographic factors and different internet-use patterns have different impacts on internet addiction and entail different risk profiles in males and females

OBJECTIVES: Despite the number of studies on factors associated with Internet Addiction, there are inconclusive data for several variables. Furthermore, few Authors have done researches in a gender-specific perspective. Thus, our main objective was to assess the impact of socio-demographic variables and of Internet-use behavior on Internet Addiction in a gender-oriented study, and to set up a risk gender-specific profile. METHODS: We assessed by questionnaire gender, age, nationality of parents, time spent online and main use of Internet; and we administered the Internet Addiction Test to assess Internet Addiction, in schools or University setting. RESULTS: Out of 1032 participants, outcomes show that the type and relevance of predictors of Internet Addiction differ between males and females; from these data, we elaborated a risk gender-specific profile. Prevalence of Internet Addiction was 1.5% (male = 1.8%; female 1.2%). The trend of Internet Addiction is decreasing by age except when the main use of Internet is about social networking. CONCLUSION: This study investigated the role of variables - whose relevance was well accepted but not well defined - in a large sample of Italian participants, and discussed the different impact of these variables on genders. Furthermore, we have updated the prevalence of Internet Addiction in Italy. Clinicians can take advantage by including in their assessments a) evidence related to predictor factors that are not completely overlapping between gender, and b) the risk-profile.