Nature Connectedness Reduces Internet Gaming Disorder: The Chain Mediating Role of Intolerance of Uncertainty and Desire Thinking.

While online gaming has become a choice for relaxation and entertainment in today's digital age, Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has also become a widely concerning mental disorder. Nature connectedness has been found to effectively reduce addiction-related risks and alleviate symptoms of addictive behaviors. It is a relatively lacking but very important factor influencing psychological recovery and regulation in the digital society. This study aims to explore the relationship between nature connectedness and IGD, and the mediating roles of intolerance of uncertainty and desire thinking. A total of 571 young people voluntarily participated in the questionnaire survey. The results showed that: (1) nature connectedness was negatively correlated with IGD; (2) intolerance of uncertainty plays a mediating role between nature connectedness and IGD; and (3) intolerance of uncertainty and desire thinking plays a chain mediating role between nature connectedness and IGD. Analysis of the research results indicates that nature connectedness can effectively reduce IGD and reveal its mechanism of action. The findings provide new insights for the study and intervention of IGD in the digital age.

Linking Self-Esteem to Problematic Mobile Phone Use: A Moderated Mediation Model of Fear of Missing Out and Ruminative Subtypes.

Low self-esteem has been identified as a risk factor for problematic mobile phone use (PMPU). However, the magnitude of self-esteem's effect on PMPU varied across different studies. Drawing on the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution model and the response styles theory, this study developed a moderated mediation model to investigate the mediating role of fear of missing out (FoMO) and the moderating roles of ruminative subtypes (i.e., brooding and reflection) in the relationship between self-esteem and PMPU. We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 806 undergraduate students (Mage = 19.35 years, SD = 1.18) using the convenience sampling method. Results showed that self-esteem was negatively associated with PMPU. Mediation analysis revealed that the association between self-esteem and PMPU was mediated by FoMO. Furthermore, moderated mediation analyses revealed that the mediating effect of FoMO was moderated by both brooding and reflection, such that the indirect effect became stronger for individuals with higher levels of brooding/reflection. These findings add to previous research by shedding light on how (i.e., mediation) and under what conditions (i.e., moderation) self-esteem is associated with PMPU and have implications for early prevention and intervention of individual PMPU.

Is decreasing problematic mobile phone use a pathway for alleviating adolescent depression and sleep disorders? A randomized controlled trial testing the effectiveness of an eight-session mindfulness-based intervention.

Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) intervention in reducing problematic mobile phone use, depression, and sleep disorders among adolescents. Additionally, it sought to investigate whether the decrease in problematic mobile phone use acted as a mediator in the relationship between the MBCT intervention and adolescent depression and sleep disorders. Methods: In a randomized controlled trial, a total of 104 adolescents were randomly assigned to the mindfulness group (n = 52) or the wait-list control group (n = 52). The mindfulness group students completed eight 45-min sessions of mindfulness training in four weeks. The outcomes were measured at baseline, postintervention, and at the 2-month follow-up. Results: Compared with the control group, the mindfulness group had significantly greater levels of mindfulness and lower levels of problematic mobile phone use, depression, and sleep disorders postintervention. The intervention effects were maintained at the 2-month follow-up. In addition, decreased problematic mobile phone use significantly mediated the association between the MBCT intervention and decreased depression and decreased sleep disorders. Conclusion: The findings suggest that MBCT could improve adolescent depression and sleep disorders and that decreasing problematic mobile phone use is an effective pathway accounting for the MBCT intervention effect on adolescent depression and sleep disorders.

The effects of weight loss and improved metabolic health status on the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease-results from a prospective cohort in China.

Background: The impact of weight loss and/or improved metabolic status on the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has yet to be determined. Methods: A total of 35,322 participants without NAFLD were followed. NAFLD risk was compared between consistently metabolically healthy non-obese (MHNO) and non-MHNO who lost weight to become non-obese and/or improved their metabolic health, using Cox proportional hazards and logistic regression models. Results: Following 148,186 person-years, 8,409 participants had onset NAFLD, with an incidence rate of 56.75 (95% CI: 55.57, 57.94) per 1,000 person-years. Metabolically healthy obese (MHO), metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO), and metabolically unhealthy non-obese (MUNO) at baseline were associated with increased NAFLD risk, with hazard ratios of 4.48 (95%CI:4.24, 4.73), 8.85 (95%CI:7.95, 9.84), and 10.70 (95%CI:9.73, 11.78). Weight loss and/or metabolic status improvements could significantly reduce NAFLD risk by 79.46 to 41.46%. Specifically, after weight loss from MHO to MHNO, the reduction in NAFLD risk [OR decreased from 12.01 (95%CI:9.40, 15.35) to 4.14 (95%CI:3.08, 5.57)] was greater than that of the MUNO subgroup whose metabolic status improved to MHNO [OR decreased from 5.53 (95%CI:5.15, 5.94) to 2.71 (95%CI:2.50, 3.93)]. In the MUO subgroup, the group with the greatest risk reduction of NAFLD was the weight and metabolic state both improvement group [MUO to MHNO, OR decreased from 22.74 (95%CI:17.61, 29.37) to 4.67 (95%CI:3.05, 7.16)], followed by the weight loss only group [MUO to MUNO, OR decreased to 6.83 (95%CI:4.87, 9.57)], and finally the group with the least and insignificant risk reduction was the metabolic state improvement group [MUO to MHO, OR decreased to 13.38 (95%CI:9.17,19.53)]. NAFLD risk was negatively correlated with the duration of improvement (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Individuals with non-MHNO were more likely to develop NAFLD than those with consistent MHNO, but metabolic improvements and weight loss can alleviate the risk. Their NAFLD risk was negatively correlated with improvement duration. However, it remained higher than in individuals with consistent MHNO at an average follow-up of 4.2 years.

Does the Effect of Stress on Smartphone Addiction Vary Depending on the Gender and Type of Addiction?

Stress is closely associated with smartphone addiction. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of studies investigating the potential variation in the effect of stress on smartphone addiction based on the specific addiction type and gender. We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire survey among 596 high school students. The results revealed that the effect size of stress on smartphone addiction varied across different types of addiction. The strongest relationship was observed between stress and social media addiction, followed by the relationship between stress and information acquisition addiction. Furthermore, gender played a significant moderating role in stress and three types of smartphone addiction. Specifically, stress was strongly associated with information acquisition addiction overall, with no significant gender differences observed. In contrast, stress exhibited a strong correlation with social media addiction, which was significantly more prevalent among females. On the other hand, game addiction and short-form video addiction were both strongly associated with stress, but showed significantly higher prevalence among males. This study enhances current research by offering supplementary insights into the correlation between stress and smartphone addiction, as well as exploring the potential implications of intervening in smartphone addiction.

Family cohesion and adaptability reduces mobile phone addiction: the mediating and moderating roles of automatic thoughts and peer attachment.

With the popularity of mobile Internet devices, the incidence of mobile phone addiction has been increasing, which has aroused the concern of all sectors of society. Due to the difficulty of eliminating the risk factors of mobile phone addiction, it's significant for researchers to examine the function and underlying mechanisms of positive environmental factors in reducing individuals' mobile phone addiction. Thus, the current study aimed to examine the relationship between family cohesion and adaptability and mobile phone addiction among university students and analyzed the mediating role of automatic thoughts as well as the moderating role of peer attachment in this link. The sample consisted of 958 Chinese university students. Participants completed self-report questionnaires assessing family cohesion and adaptability, mobile phone addiction, automatic thoughts, and peer attachment. PROCESS model 8 was significant (the total effect model (F (5, 952) = 19.64, R2 = 0.09, p < 0.001)). Results indicated that family cohesion and adaptability could not only negatively predict mobile phone addiction directly, but also indirectly through the mediating effect of automatic thoughts. Moreover, both the direct association between family cohesion and adaptability and mobile phone addiction as well as the indirect effect of automatic thoughts were moderated by peer attachment. Findings emphasized the beneficial role of peer attachment on the effect of family cohesion and adaptability on automatic thoughts and mobile phone addiction.

Peer pressure and adolescent mobile social media addiction: Moderation analysis of self-esteem and self-concept clarity.

Background: Social media addiction has increasingly been a critical social problem. We explored the association between peer pressure on mobile phone use and adolescent mobile social media addiction and tested whether self-esteem and self-concept clarity could buffer the effect of peer pressure. Methods: 830 adolescents (M age = 14.480, SDage = 1.789) participated in our anonymous cross-sectional questionnaire study. Results: The results showed that peer pressure significantly predicted adolescent mobile social media addiction. Self-esteem moderated the effect of peer pressure on mobile social media addiction in that peer pressure had a weaker effect for adolescents with higher self-esteem. Self-concept clarity moderated the effect of peer pressure on mobile social media addiction in that peer pressure had a weaker effect for adolescents with higher self-esteem. The two moderators also interact in that the moderation of self-esteem was stronger for adolescents with higher self-concept clarity and the moderation of self-concept clarity for adolescents with higher self-esteem. Conclusion: The results highlight the critical role of self-esteem and self-concept clarity in buffering the impact of peer pressure on mobile social media addiction. The findings promote a better understanding of how to buffer the undesirable effect of peer pressure and reduce the risk of mobile social media addiction among adolescents.

Psychometric validation of the Chinese version of the desire thinking questionnaire in adolescent mobile phone users.

BACKGROUND: Desire thinking is a conscious and voluntary cognitive process that is closely linked to levels of craving and addictive behaviors. The Desire Thinking Questionnaire (DTQ) can be used to measure desire thinking in all age groups as well as in addicts. This measurement has also been translated into several languages. This study aimed to test the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the DTQ (DTQ-C) among adolescent mobile phone users. METHODS: One thousand and ninety-seven adolescents who own a mobile phone and are younger than 18 years old completed the DTQ-C and a battery of questionnaires assessing the big five personality traits, negative affect, brooding, self-control, craving, and problematic mobile phone use (PMPU). The psychometric analyses of the DTQ-C were conducted, including exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), reliability, and validity analysis. RESULTS: The EFA revealed a 10-item two-factor structure (i.e., verbal perseveration and imaginal prefiguration) that was confirmed by the CFA. The results of CFA showed fit indexes of χ2/df = 4.83, CFI = 0.967, TLI = 0.954, RMSEA = 0.059, SRMR = 0.032. The total scale had internal consistency reliabilities of 0.93, which demonstrated that DTQ-C presented good reliability. The two dimensions were correlated with PMPU (rverbal perseveration = 0.54; rimaginal prefiguration = 0.45), neuroticism (rverbal perseveration = 0.18; rimaginal prefiguration = 0.14), conscientiousness (rverbal perseveration = -0.19; rimaginal prefiguration = -0.18), depression (rverbal perseveration = 0.22; rimaginal prefiguration = 0.16), anxiety (rverbal perseveration = 0.26; rimaginal prefiguration = 0.22), stress (rverbal perseveration = 0.15; rimaginal prefiguration = 0.10) and self-control (rverbal perseveration = -0.29; rimaginal prefiguration = -0.26), which demonstrated that DTQ-C presented good concurrent validity. The two factors of DTQ-C correlated weakly with brooding (ranging from 0.08 to 0.10). The principal component factor analysis of the two dimensions of desire thinking and craving showed that craving and desire thinking belonged to different dimensions. Both of which showed good divergent validity of desire thinking. Additionally, an examination of incremental validity revealed that two factors were both positively associated with PMPU beyond demographic characteristics, big five personality traits, negative affect, and self-control (Bverbal perseveration = 0.49 and Bimaginal prefiguration = 0.13). CONCLUSIONS: It has been found that the 10-item DTQ-C is a reliable and valid measure of desire thinking in Chinese adolescent mobile phone users.

Does Upward Social Comparison on SNS Inspire Adolescent Materialism? Focusing on the Role of Self-Esteem and Mindfulness.

The present study tested the mediating role of self-esteem and the moderating role of mindfulness in the association between upward social comparison on social network sites (SNSs) and adolescent materialism. A sample of 880 Chinese adolescents completed measures of upward social comparison on SNSs, materialism, self-esteem, mindfulness, and demographic information. Results showed that self-esteem mediated the link between upward social comparison on SNSs and adolescent materialism. That is, upward social comparison on SNSs was positively associated with adolescent materialism through the decreased self-esteem. Moreover, mindfulness acted as an important moderator in the mediation model. Both the direct association between upward social comparison on SNSs and materialism and the indirect association via self-esteem were moderated by mindfulness. These two associations were both weaker for adolescents with higher mindfulness than for those with lower mindfulness. These findings would advance our understanding of how and when upward social comparison on SNSs is associated with adolescent materialism. Limitations and implications of the present study are discussed.

Unique and interactive effects of parental neglect, school connectedness, and trait self-control on mobile short-form video dependence among Chinese left-behind adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Mobile short-form video is becoming increasingly popular among Chinese adolescents. Mobile short-form video dependence has become a pressing issue in Chinese adolescents, especially in left-behind adolescents. Previous studies, however, have focused on general mobile phone dependence and neglected specific types of mobile phone dependence. Few studies have explored the environmental and individual predictors of mobile short-form video dependence. OBJECTIVE: Based on theoretical and empirical evidence, the present study examined the unique and interactive effects of parental neglect, school connectedness, and trait self-control on mobile short-form video dependence among Chinese left-behind adolescents. METHODS: A total of 618 left-behind adolescents between 11 and 15 years of age completed the anonymous self-report survey. The PROCESS macro for SPSS was applied for data analysis. RESULTS: Parental neglect was positively associated with mobile short-form video dependence, whereas school connectedness and trait self-control were negatively associated with mobile short-form video dependence in left-behind adolescents. Examination of the two-way interactions indicated that school connectedness and trait self-control could buffer the association between parental neglect and left-behind adolescents' mobile short-form video dependence. However, self-control could not moderate the association between school connectedness and mobile short-form video dependence. In addition, the three-way interaction of parental neglect, school connectedness, and trait self-control showed a significant effect on mobile short-form video dependence. The moderating role of school connectedness was stronger for left-behind adolescents with low trait self-control than for those with high trait self-control, and the moderating role of trait self-control was stronger for left-behind adolescents with low school connectedness than for those with high school connectedness. CONCLUSIONS: The findings contribute significantly to revealing the complex mechanisms of mobile short-form video dependence and providing comprehensive and specific practical suggestions for the prevention and intervention of mobile short-form video dependence among left-behind adolescents.

Peer Victimization and Adolescent Mobile Social Addiction: Mediation of Social Anxiety and Gender Differences.

Social media addiction has become one of the typical problem behaviors during adolescence. The present study examined the mediation of social anxiety between peer victimization and adolescent mobile social addiction and tested whether gender could moderate the direct and indirect effects of peer victimization. 649 adolescents between 12 and 19 years of age (Mage = 14.80, SDage = 1.82) completed the anonymous survey. The results found that social anxiety was a mediator linking peer victimization to mobile social addiction. Gender could moderate the direct and indirect effects of peer victimization, and these two effects were stronger in girls than in boys. The results highlight the role of social anxiety in explaining how peer victimization was associated with adolescent mobile phone addiction and the role of gender in explaining when or for whom the direct and indirect associations between peer victimization and adolescent mobile social addiction were more potent. The findings would contribute to the intervention of mobile social addiction.

The Mediating Role of Loneliness and the Moderating Role of Gender between Peer Phubbing and Adolescent Mobile Social Media Addiction.

Mobile social media addiction has been a pressing issue in adolescents. The present study examined the mediation of loneliness between peer phubbing and mobile social media addiction among Chinese adolescents and tested whether gender could moderate the direct and indirect effects of peer phubbing. A total of 830 adolescents between 11 and 18 years of age (Mage = 14.480, SDage = 1.789) completed an anonymous self-report survey. The results showed that peer phubbing was positively associated with mobile social media addiction. Loneliness partially mediated peer phubbing and adolescent mobile social media addiction. There were significant gender differences in the direct and indirect effects of peer phubbing on mobile social media addiction. The direct effect of peer phubbing and the indirect effect through loneliness were relatively higher in girls than in boys. The results highlight the critical role of loneliness in linking peer phubbing to adolescent mobile social media addiction and the vital role of gender in moderating the direct and indirect impacts of peer phubbing. The findings promote a better understanding of how peer phubbing is associated with adolescent mobile phone addiction and for whom the effect of peer phubbing is potent.

Body Roundness Index and Waist-Hip Ratio Result in Better Cardiovascular Disease Risk Stratification: Results From a Large Chinese Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: The appropriate optimal anthropometric indices and their thresholds within each BMI category for predicting those at a high risk of cardiovascular disease risk factors (CVDRFs) among the Chinese are still under dispute. Objectives: We aimed to identify the best indicators of CVDRFs and the optimal threshold within each BMI category among the Chinese. Methods: Between 2012 and 2020, a total of 500,090 participants were surveyed in Hunan, China. Six anthropometric indices including waist circumference (WC), a body shape index (ABSI), body roundness index (BRI), waist-hip ratio (WHR), hip circumference (HC), and waist-height ratio (WHtR) were evaluated in the present study. Considered CVDRFs included dyslipidaemia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), and chronic kidney disease (CKD). The associations of anthropometrics with CVDRFs within each BMI category were evaluated through logistic regression models. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was used to assess the predictive abilities. Results: For the presence of at least one CVDRFs, the WHR had the highest AUROC in overweight [0.641 (95%CI:0.638, 0.644)] and obese [0.616 (95%CI:0.609, 0.623)] men. BRI had the highest AUROC in underweight [0.649 (95%CI:0.629, 0.670)] and normal weight [0.686 (95%CI:0.683, 0.690)] men. However, the BRI had the highest discrimination ability among women in all the BMI categories, with AUROC ranging from 0.641 to 0.727. In most cases, the discriminatory ability of WHtR was similar to BRI and was easier to calculate; therefore, thresholds of BRI, WHR, and WHtR for CVDRFs identification were all calculated. In men, BRI thresholds of 1.8, 3.0, 3.9, and 5.0, WHtR thresholds of 0.41, 0.48, 0.53, and 0.58, and WHR thresholds of 0.81, 0.88, 0.92, and 0.95 were identified as optimal thresholds across underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese populations, respectively. The corresponding BRI values in women were 1.9, 2.9, 4.0, and 5.2, respectively, and WHtR were 0.41, 0.48, 0.54, and 0.59, while the WHR values were 0.77, 0.83, 0.88, and 0.90. The recommended BRI, WHtR, or WHR cut-offs could not statistically differentiate high-risk CKD or hypercholesterolemia populations. Conclusions: We found that BRI and WHR were superior to other indices for predicting CVD risk factors, except CKD or hypercholesterolemia, among the Chinese.

Distinguishing Different Types of Mobile Phone Addiction: Development and Validation of the Mobile Phone Addiction Type Scale (MPATS) in Adolescents and Young Adults.

Researchers have developed various versions of scales to measure mobile phone addiction. Existing scales, however, focus primarily on the overall level of mobile phone addiction but do not distinguish the potential differences between different types of mobile phone addiction. There is a lack of established scales that can measure different types of mobile phone addiction. The present study aimed to uncover the specific types of mobile phone addiction and develop a Mobile Phone Addiction Type Scale (MPATS) for adolescents and young adults. Adolescents and young adults from two high schools and two universities in Central and South China participated in our study. A total of 108 mobile phone addicts (Mage = 17.60 years, SD = 3.568 years; 60.185% males) were interviewed to uncover the specific types of mobile phone addiction. Data from 876 adolescents and young adults (Mage = 16.750 years, SD = 3.159 years; 49.087% males) were tested for item discrimination and exploratory factor analysis. Data from 854 adolescents and young adults (Mage = 16.750 years, SD = 3.098 years; 50.820% males) were analyzed for construct validity, convergent validity, criterion-related validity, and internal consistency reliability. The 26-item Mobile Phone Addiction Type Scale (MPATS) was developed with four factors named mobile social networking addiction, mobile game addiction, mobile information acquisition addiction, and mobile short-form video addiction. The four-factor, 26-item MPATS revealed good construct validity, convergent validity, criterion-related validity, and internal consistency reliability. The new scale is suitable for measuring different types of mobile phone addiction in adolescents and young adults. Limitations and implications are discussed.

Corrigendum: Trends in Obesity and Metabolic Status in Northern and Southern China Between 2012 and 2020.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2021.811244.].

The influence of meaning in life on children and adolescents' problematic smartphone use: A three-wave multiple mediation model.

Using a three-wave longitudinal design, the current study examined the relationship between early meaning in life and subsequent problematic smartphone use (PSU). As depression and self-control are a strong predictor of Internet-related addiction, we examined these two variables as possible mediators in this relationship based on existing literature. A total of 478 Chinese children and adolescents (243 boys and 235 girls, mean age = 11.26 years) completed questionnaires regarding meaning in life, depression, self-control and PSU. The results indicated that: (a) presence of meaning and search for meaning are positive correlation, and they are negatively associated with PSU among children and adolescents; (b) depression and self-control mediated the link between presence of meaning and children and adolescents' subsequent PSU respectively; and (c) depression and self-control sequentially mediated the relationship between early presence of meaning and children and adolescents' subsequent PSU; whereas not sequentially mediated the relationship between search for meaning and children and adolescents' subsequent PSU. These results suggested that three types of interventions could be effectively used to decrease the risk of PSU among children and adolescents, namely, enhancing presence of meaning, relieving depression, and improving self-control.

Parental Warmth, Gratitude, and Prosocial Behavior among Chinese Adolescents: The Moderating Effect of School Climate.

Parental warmth plays an important role in the development of adolescents' physical and mental health. There are numerous empirical studies indicating a relationship between parental warmth and prosocial behavior among adolescents, although the underlying mechanisms of this association remain unclear. Adopting a longitudinal design across two time points, the present study proposes a moderated mediation model to explore the mediating role of gratitude and the moderating role of the school climate between parental warmth and prosocial behavior. The sample consisted of 943 participants (483 boys and 451 girls) who participated in the second assessment and completed questionnaires assessing gratitude, school climate, and prosocial behavior in April 2019. Their parents participated in the first assessment and completed a questionnaire pertaining to parental warmth in October 2018. After controlling for the gender and age of the adolescents, the results showed that the positive association between parental warmth and prosocial behavior is mediated by gratitude, and school climate does play a moderating role in the second half of the mediating path. Specifically, the school climate can play a protective role in adolescents with low levels of gratitude. For adolescents with less gratitude, a strong school climate can promote more prosocial behaviors and can effectively alleviate the negative prediction of low levels of gratitude. This study provides a theoretical explanation for the generation of adolescents' prosocial behavior and provides theoretical guidance for the interventions of schools and parents.

The Influence of Parental Knowledge and Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction on Peer Victimization and Internet Gaming Disorder among Chinese Adolescents: A Mediated Moderation Model.

Ample evidence indicates that peer victimization is a crucial risk factor for adolescent internet gaming disorder (IGD); however, little is known about the mechanisms underlying this association. Based on the risk-buffering model and self-determination theory, this study tested whether parental knowledge moderated the relationship between peer victimization and adolescent IGD and whether this moderating effect was mediated by basic psychological needs satisfaction (BPNS). A sample of 3080 adolescents (Meanage = 14.51; SD = 1.97) anonymously responded to a set of questionnaires. The results revealed that the positive association between peer victimization and adolescent IGD was stronger among adolescents with parents who had low-level parental knowledge than for those with high-level parental knowledge. Moreover, this moderating effect was mediated by BPNS. These findings highlight that parental knowledge is an important protective factor against IGD for adolescents who experience peer victimization and BPNS is one mechanism that explains how this effect works.