Effects of a prevention program for internet addiction among middle school students in South Korea.

OBJECTIVES

This study explored the effects of a self-regulatory efficacy improvement program on self-control, self-efficacy, internet addiction, and time spent on the internet among middle school students in South Korea. The program was led by school nurses, and it is integrated self-efficacy and self-regulation promotion strategies based on Bandura's social cognitive theory.

DESIGN AND SAMPLE

A quasi-experimental, nonequivalent, control group, pre-posttest design was used. The participants were 79 middle school students.

MEASURES

Measurements included the Self-Control Scale, Self-Efficacy Scale, Internet Addiction Proneness Scale, and an assessment of internet addiction.

RESULTS

Self-control and self-efficacy significantly increased and internet addiction and time spent on the internet significantly decreased in the intervention group compared with the control group.

CONCLUSION

A program led by school nurses that integrated and applied self-efficacy and self-regulation intervention strategies proved effective for prevention of students' internet addiction.