Arabic validation of the Internet addiction test.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Digital Media Studies

Background:

• Growing global concern over internet addiction necessitates reliable measurement tools.
• Existing Arabic tools for internet addiction assessment have shown limitations in validation.
• The Internet Addiction Test (IAT) is a widely used measure, but its Arabic version requires psychometric evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the psychometric properties and validity of the Arabic version of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT).
• To establish a reliable tool for assessing internet addiction among Arabic-speaking adolescents.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was administered to 817 intermediate and secondary school students in Lebanon.
• Participants completed the Arabic version of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT).
• Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Arabic IAT.

Main Results:

• A one-factor model of the Arabic IAT demonstrated good psychometric properties.
• The model exhibited an excellent fit with the collected data.
• Evidence suggests the Arabic IAT is a valid instrument for assessing internet addiction.

Conclusions:

• The Arabic version of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) is psychometrically sound and valid for use with adolescents in Lebanon.
• This validated tool can aid in understanding and addressing internet addiction in the Arab world.
• Further research can utilize this validated instrument to explore internet addiction prevalence and risk factors.