Validation study of the Indonesian internet addiction test among adolescents

Abstract

Background Internet addiction is a serious problem that can negatively impact both the physical and mental health of individuals. The Internet Addiction Test (IAT) is the most common used instrument to screen internet addiction worldwide. This study sought to investigate the psychometric properties of an Indonesian version of the IAT. Methods The IAT questionnaire was made the focus of forward translation, expert panel discussions, back translation, an item analysis (30 subjects), a pilot study (385 subjects), and field testing (643 subjects). Factor structure was analysed by exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor (CFA) analyses, whereas reliability was measured with Cronbach s alpha coefficient. Results Factor analysis revealed that the Indonesian version of IAT, consisted of 3 domains, and had good validity (x2 p < 0.001; RMSEA = 0.076; CFI = 0.95; SRMR = 0.057, and AIC = 784.63). The Cronbach s alpha score is 0.855. A significant association was also observed between the level of internet addiction with gender (p = 0.027) and the duration of internet use per day (p = 0.001). Conclusion The Indonesian version of IAT provides good validity and reliability in a three-dimensional model. Therefore, it can be utilised as a tool for screening internet addiction in the Indonesian population.