Factors Associated With Digital Addiction: Umbrella Review

Digital addiction, affecting a significant portion of the population, particularly young people, is linked to psychological issues and social problems, making its prevention and management a crucial public health issue.

This umbrella review aimed to comprehensively analyze the factors influencing digital addiction by re-evaluating the methodologies and evidence quality of existing meta-analyses.

Databases including PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and Embase were systematically searched for reviews and meta-analyses related to factors associated with digital addiction up to September 24, 2024. The methodological quality of the identified studies was assessed using the modified "A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2" (AMSTAR 2) tool, while the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) tool was used to evaluate the quality of the evidence presented in the literature.

A total of 18 articles were included in the review, with AMSTAR 2 assessments revealing 6 moderate-quality, 4 low-quality, and 8 very low-quality studies. In total, 29 significant factors associated with digital addiction were identified. Notably, 4 studies achieved both moderate AMSTAR 2 and GRADE ratings, indicating that positive parent-child relationship (r=-0.15, 95% CI-0.18 to -0.11; P<.05) effectively mitigate the risks of digital addiction. Conversely, urban residence (odds ratio [OR] 2.32, 95% CI 1.19-4.53; P<.001), adverse childhood experiences (r=0.21, 95% CI 0.18-0.24; P<.001), and social anxiety (r=0.34, 95% CI 0.19-0.48; P<.001) were identified as factors that may increase the risk of developing digital addiction.

This study found that social factors such as urban residence were associated with an increased risk of digital addiction, whereas social support served as a protective factor against this risk. Nonetheless, the methodologies used in analyzing the factors related to digital addiction require further refinement.