Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 18, 2025

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Online Gamers
Published on: November 9, 2019
Association between Urban Upbringing and Compulsive Internet Use in Japan: A Cross-Sectional, Multilevel Study with
Naonori Yasuma1,2, Daisuke Nishi1,3, Kazuhiro Watanabe4
1Department of Mental Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to show the association between urban upbringing and compulsive internet use (CIU). The interview data of the sample (N = 2431) was obtained from the World Mental Health Japan Second Survey and a multilevel model was used to investigate the association. Multiple imputation was also conducted in this study. Growing up in a large city was significantly associated with higher Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS) scores (γ = 1.65, Standard Error (SE) = 0.45) and Mild CIU + Severe CIU (Exp(γ) = 1.44; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) (1.04-2.00)) compared to growing up in a small municipality after adjusting for both sociodemographic characteristics and psychopathology. This study showed a possible association between urban upbringing and CIU. Future studies with longitudinal design are needed to better understand this association.
Related Concept Videos
Cross-Sectional Research
Cognitive Development During Adolescence
Impact of Social Context on Individuals
Social Foundations of Self IV: Self in Digital Communication
Causes of Social Behavior II: Cognitive Processes
Observational Studies
There are three types of observational studies – Prospective, retrospective, and cross-sectional.
Prospective Study
Prospective studies, also known as longitudinal or cohort studies, are carried out by collecting future data from groups sharing similar characteristics. One...

