Pathological gaming and its association with lifestyle, irritability, and school and family environments among Japanese elementary school children

Personality traits and physical activity in patients with gambling disorder attending a rehabilitation center. An observational study

Objective

Problem gambling is associated with various negative health behaviors, such as physical inactivity. However, physical activity may also be used as a coping mechanism to manage stress and anxiety. This study aimed to investigate whether personality traits are associated with physical activity levels in individuals attending a rehabilitation center for gambling disorder (GD).

Methods

An observational study was conducted in 71 patients belonging to a Gamblers' Recovery Association. All of them completed a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Exploratory Personality Questionnaire-III (CEPER-III) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Comparisons with general population and association between personality traits and physical activity were analyzed.

Results

The study sample predominantly consisted of male participants (91.5%), with the majority having an educational attainment of compulsory schooling or less (70.4%). Additionally, a substantial proportion of participants exhibited school-related problems (43.7%) and had a history of mental health issues (33.8%). Compared to the general population, individuals in the CEPER-III cohort demonstrated significantly lower scores in the following personality traits: paranoid (p < 0.05), histrionic (p < 0.001), narcissistic (p < 0.001), passive-aggressive (p < 0.05), and sadistic (p < 0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the antisocial, borderline, obsessive-compulsive, and self-destructive personality traits were significantly associated (p < 0.05) with the level of physical activity.

Conclusion

This study found a link between personality traits and physical activity levels in patients with GD. Gamblers with higher scores on obsessive-compulsive and self-destructive personality traits were more likely to fall into the moderate-high physical activity group. In contrast, those with higher scores on antisocial and borderline personality traits were more likely to be classified in the low physical activity group.

Causal effect of video gaming on mental well-being in Japan 2020-2022

The widespread use of video games has raised concerns about their potential negative impact on mental well-being. Nevertheless, the empirical evidence supporting this notion is largely based on correlational studies, warranting further investigation into the causal relationship. Here we identify the causal effect of video gaming on mental well-being in Japan (2020-2022) using game console lotteries as a natural experiment. Employing approaches designed for causal inference on survey data (n = 97,602), we found that game console ownership, along with increased game play, improved mental well-being. The console ownership reduced psychological distress and improved life satisfaction by 0.1-0.6 standard deviations. Furthermore, a causal forest machine learning algorithm revealed divergent impacts between different types of console, with one showing smaller benefits for adolescents and females while the other showed larger benefits for adolescents. These findings highlight the complex impact of digital media on mental well-being and the importance of considering differential screen time effects.

Association between breakfast skipping and psychosomatic symptoms among Canadian adolescents

This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the mediating roles of gender and substance use in the influence of breakfast skipping on psychosomatic symptoms. The study used data among a nationally-representative sample of 2855 Canadian adolescents who participated in the 2018 Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey. Sequential logistic regressions were used to estimate the associations between breakfast skipping and psychosomatic symptoms. Path analysis using a non-parametric bootstrapping technique tested the hypothesized mediating roles. Results showed that adolescents who skipped breakfast were 2.55 times more likely to report higher psychosomatic symptoms compared to non-breakfast skippers (AOR = 2.55; 95% CI = 1.75-3.82). The bootstrapping mediation models showed that breakfast skipping indirectly influenced psychosomatic symptoms through substance use and gender, accounting for 18.47% ( β = 0.0052, Boots 95% CI = 0.0025, 0.00730) and 10.70% ( β = 0.0091, Boots 95% CI = 0.0052, 0.0125), respectively, of the total effect. Our findings have important implications for targeted public and mental health interventions to address both breakfast skipping and psychosomatic symptoms among adolescents.  Conclusion: The study compellingly underscores the significance of incorporating gender-specific factors and substance use in understanding the correlation between breakfast skipping and psychosomatic symptoms. These insights hold importance for tailoring public health interventions to alleviate the prevalence of psychosomatic symptoms among adolescents by actively addressing breakfast skipping. What is Known: • Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day due to its role in providing the brain with the energy necessary to enhance cognitive functions. • Adolescents commonly exhibit a prevalent lifestyle behaviour of skipping breakfast. What is New: • This study provides robust evidence supporting the association between breakfast skipping and elevated psychosomatic symptoms in adolescents. • Gender and substance use mediate this association, offering novel insights into the complex interplay that contributes to psychosomatic symptoms among this demographic group. • Longitudinal research is needed to unravel causal relationships and illuminate the underlying mechanisms of this intricate connection.

A 16-week school-based intervention improves physical fitness in Slovenian children: a randomized controlled trial

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a 16-week school-based physical activity (PA) intervention on physical fitness (PF) (speed, hand-eye coordination, flexibility) of 8- to 9-year-olds. Methods: A total of seventy-eight boys and girls (boys: n = 45, aged 8.4 ± 4.9 years; girls: n = 42, aged 8.6 ± 0.5 years) from a school in Slovenia were randomly assigned to either a group with an after-school PA program (EXP) or a control group (CON) that participated exclusively in mandatory physical education (PE). The EXP group engaged in the extracurricular PA program for 60 min twice a week for 16 weeks, concurrent with regular PE classes. The program primarily involved elementary PE games that included elements of athletics (e.g., skipping, push- off running, hopping, crossstepping, and jumping) and gymnastics (e.g., handstand, forward roll, backward roll, hand support jumps, squat jump on a vault box, climbing on horizontal bars, incline benches and ropes, crawling, and jumping rope). Standardized tests appropriate for this age group were used to assess PF, including the sit and reach test (SAR), the 30-meter sprint, and the alternate hand wall toss test at distances of 1.0 and 2.0 m (AHWT 1.0 and 2.0). Results: There was a significant group-time interaction for SAR test (EXP group increase: +1.6 cm, +6.3%; CON group decrease: -0.1 cm, -0.4%; p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.361), and the 30 m sprint (EXP group improvement: -0.4 s, -6.3%; CON group decrease: +0.1 s, +1.6%; p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.193). Similarly, the EXP group improved by +2.1 points (+25.6%) in the 1.0 m wall throw with the alternating hand, while the CON group showed only minimal changes (-0.2 points, -2.4%; p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.545). No significant interaction was found for the 2.0 m toss (EXP and CON group both -0.1 points, -2.6%; p = 0.888, ηp2 = 0.001). Post-hoc analyses with paired t-tests revealed that the EXP group showed significant improvements in SAR test (p < 0.001), 30 m sprint (p < 0.001) and AHWT 1.0 test (p < 0.001), while the CON group showed no significant changes in SAR test (p = 0.533), 30 m sprint (p = 0.150), AHWT 1.0 test (p = 0.186) and AHWT 2.0 test (p = 0.430). Discussion: The results of the study showed that the extracurricular program with only two additional weekly sessions significantly improved the components of PF in 8- to 9-year olds. Significant improvements were observed in the areas of flexibility, speed and coordination, as shown in the SAR test, 30-meter sprint and 1.0-meter handwall toss tests. However, no similar improvements were observed in the 2.0-meter handwall toss, which illustrates the specific areas of impact of the program.

Association between excessive screen time and school-level proportion of no family rules among elementary school children in Japan: a multilevel analysis

BACKGROUND

Excessive screen time (ST) in children is a global concern. We assessed the association between individual- and school-level factors and excessive ST in Japanese children using a multilevel analysis.

METHODS

A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Toyama, Japan in 2018. From 110 elementary schools in Toyama Prefecture, 13,413 children in the 4th-6th grades (boys, 50.9%; mean, 10.5 years old) participated. We assessed lifestyle, recreational ST (not for study use), psychological status, and school and family environment including family rules. We defined ≥3 hours ST as excessive. We calculated the school-level proportions of no family rules and divided them into four categories (<20%, 20% to <30%, 30% to <40%, and ≥40%). A modified multilevel Poisson regression analysis was performed.

RESULTS

In total, 12,611 children were included in the analysis (94.0%). The average school-level proportion of those with no family rules was 32.1% (SD = 9.6). The prevalence of excessive ST was 29.9% (34.9% in boys; 24.8% in girls). The regression analysis showed that excessive ST was significantly associated with both individual-level factors, such as boys (adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR); 1.39), older grades (aPR; 1.18 for 5th grades and 1.28 for 6th grades), late wakeup (aPR; 1.13), physical inactivity (aPR; 1.18 for not so much and 1.31 for rarely), late bedtime (aPR; 1.43 for 10 to 11 p.m. and 1.76 for ≥11 p.m.), frequent irritability (aPR; 1.24 for sometimes and 1.46 for often), feelings of school avoidance (aPR; 1.17 for sometimes and 1.22 for often), infrequent child-parental interaction (aPR; 1.16 for rare and 1.21 for none), no family rules (aPR; 1.56), smartphone ownership (aPR; 1.18), and the school-level proportion of no family rules (aPR; 1.20 for 20% to <30%, 1.29 for 30% to <40%, and 1.43 for ≥40%, setting <20% as reference).

CONCLUSION

Besides individual factors, a higher school-level proportion of no family rules seemed influential on excessive ST. Increasing the number of households with family rules and addressing individual factors, could be deterrents against excessive ST in children.

Association between Lifestyle Factors and Weight Gain among University Students in Japan during COVID-19 Mild Lockdown: A Quantitative Study

We aimed to investigate the lifestyle factors influencing weight gain among university students in Japan during the mild lockdown imposed due to the novel coronavirus disease pandemic. In this cross-sectional study, we conducted a questionnaire survey of students who underwent health examinations at Nagasaki University in 2021. Students reporting a weight gain of ≥3 kg were included in the weight gain group; the remaining students were included in the non-weight-gain group. Fisher's exact test and binary logistic regression were performed to determine the association between weight gain and each lifestyle factor. We included 3059 respondents (response rate: 45.7%), and 9.5% of them reported a weight gain of ≥3 kg. The following factors were associated with weight gain (odds ratio (95% confidence interval), p value based on Fisher's exact test): dining out for four times or more/week (2.16 (1.40, 3.32), p = 8.7 × 10-4) and gaming time of ≥4 h/day (2.26 (1.45, 3.47), p = 2.4 × 10-4). Binary logistic regression among the four highest odds ratios revealed that after adjusting for other factors, frequent dining out and prolonged gaming time were significantly associated with weight gain in students during the mild lockdown.

Current Status of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) in Japan: New Lifestyle-Related Disease in Children and Adolescents

The World Health Organization recognizes internet gaming disorder (IGD) as a disorder that causes problems in daily life as a result of excessive interest in online games. The causes of IGD have become more apparent in recent years. Because of prolonged exposure to games, the mechanisms controlling the reward system, such as the prefrontal cortex, limbic system, and amygdala of the cerebrum, do not function properly in IGD. This mechanism is similar to that of various behavioral addictions, such as gambling addiction. IGD is particularly risky in children and adolescents because it easily causes brain dysfunction, especially in the developing brain. IGD should be regarded as a new lifestyle-related disease in younger individuals, and lifestyle modifications, including counseling and family therapy, are critical for its management.