Internet gaming dysfunction threat in Brazil: Prevalence and associations with depressive and nervousness signs in a nationally consultant survey

Introduction:

Problematic gaming is acknowledged in each main diagnostic methods, as Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) within the DSM-5 and Gaming Disorder within the ICD-11, but no nationally consultant prevalence knowledge exist for Brazil.

Methods:

Data have been drawn from a cross-sectional, nationally consultant Brazilian family survey carried out in 2023 (gaming module: n = 4,856). IGD threat was assessed amongst past-month avid gamers (n = 1,096; 1,050 analyzed) with the Ten-Item Internet Gaming Disorder Test (IGDT-10), a DSM-5-aligned screening instrument (cut-off ≥ 5 standards); an exploratory four-level severity classification was additionally examined. Analyses accounted for the advanced sampling design, with a number of imputation for lacking predictors.

Results:

Among past-month avid gamers, 3.4 % (95 % CI: 1.5-5.4) have been categorised as in danger for IGD; within the inhabitants aged ≥ 14 years, the weighted prevalence was 0.75 % (95 % CI: 0.33-1.16), equivalent to roughly 1.3 million people (95 % CI: 0.6-2.0 million). In the adjusted mannequin, moderate-to-severe depressive signs (OR = 8.82, 95 % CI: 2.39-32.55) and frequent nervousness signs (OR = 4.15, 95 % CI: 1.01-17.02) have been the strongest correlates, and better family revenue was related to diminished odds (OR = 0.035, 95 % CI: 0.005-0.24); associations have been directionally constant throughout Firth-penalized, reduced-model, and complete-case sensitivity analyses. An exploratory multinomial mannequin confirmed progressively stronger associations of depressive signs throughout severity classes (relative threat ratio = 14.41 for the IGD Risk class).

Conclusions:

This research gives the primary nationally consultant estimate of IGD threat in Brazil and, to our information, in Latin America; the 0.75 % prevalence signifies a related public well being concern.