Abstract:

INTRODUCTION: This descriptive study was conducted to determine the computer games addiction levels and affecting factors of 6-12 years children who were treated in the hospital.  METHODS: The sample of this study is consisted of 69 children aged 6-12 years who were hospitalized in the pediatric clinics at a university hospital. Data were collected with the "Questionnaire Form" and "Computer Game Addiction Scale For Children".  RESULTS: The mean age of the children was 8.8 ± 1.9 years, the number of siblings was 2.26 ± 1.20, 69.9% were boys and 52.2% had chronic illness. Children have been using the Internet for 3.1 ± 6.6 years, using 2.07 ± 1.78 hours per day and 13.17 ± 12.76 hours per week. Children were used the internet 3.1±6.6 years. There was a statistically difference between the parental dependency status/ability to act of the children and the "Computer Games Addiction Scale" (p<.0.05). The number of siblings of children increased, they prefer other activities to computer games too (p<.0.05). As children's daily and weekly internet usage time increased, they neglected their tasks because of playing computer games and they preferred playing games to other activities (p<.0.05).  DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The parental dependency status/ability to act, the number of siblings, the duration of daily and weekly computer and internet use have affected the levels of computer games addiction. The duration and type of disease and presence of computer of children did not affect addiction levels of the computer games.

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