Effectiveness of WeChat Public Account Intervention Based on the IMB Model for College Students With Internet Addiction

NCT06704984 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 20190495
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 226
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Objective: The investigators want to see if a WeChat program can help college students use the internet less and feel better. Methods: The investigators picked 226 students who use the internet too much. The investigators put 113 in a group that used a special WeChat program for six weeks. The other 113 did nothing different. The investigators checked how much they used the internet, slept, and how they felt before and after. Interventions: The WeChat program gave students info, motivation, and skills to cut down on internet use. It sent them articles and videos every two days. Data Collection and Outcome Measures: The investigators used a test to see how much students were addicted to the internet. The investigators also looked at their internet time, sleep, and feelings. The investigators used math tricks to see if the program worked. Brief Summary: This study checks if a WeChat program can help students with internet addiction. It teaches them about their habits and how to change them.

Conditions

Internet Addiction

Keywords

IMB model; Internet addiction; WeChat public accounts; Randomized controlled trial; Intervention

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Internet Addiction

  Internet Addiction Measurement Tool: 20-item Internet Addiction Test (IAT) Description: Scores range from 20 to 100, with higher scores indicating a more severe level of internet addiction (20-39: no addiction, 40-69: mild addiction, ≥70: moderate to severe addiction).

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Internet Usage Time

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks

• Sleep Duration

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks.

• Sleep Quality

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks.

• Somatic-Psychological Symptoms

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks.

Other Outcomes (3)

• Knowledge of Internet Addiction (Information)

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks.

• Motivation for Internet Addiction Improvement (Motivation)

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks.

• Internet Control Self-Efficacy (Behavioral Skills)

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks.

Study Arms (2)

Intervention group

EXPERIMENTAL

Intervention group: A six-week intervention leveraging an online WeChat public account was implemented, integrating the IMB (Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills) model into its design. Drawing from literature analysis, the intervention plan was structured into three distinct modules: information, motivation, and behavioral skills. The comprehensive intervention encompassed disseminating knowledge on Internet addiction, identifying and avoiding triggers, fostering withdrawal motivation, imparting coping strategies for cravings and challenging situations, enhancing self-efficacy, and facilitating access to personal and social support. Participants who followed the WeChat public account received automated push notifications containing articles or videos every two days. Throughout the intervention period, engagement was monitored by tracking the readership of the sent content through the WeChat public account's backend data.

Behavioral: Intervention Name: WeChat Intervention Based on the IMB Model

Control group

NO INTERVENTION

Control group: without any intervention, maintain normal life and study state.

Interventions

Intervention Name: WeChat Intervention Based on the IMB Model BEHAVIORAL

A six-week intervention leveraging an online WeChat public account was implemented, integrating the IMB (Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills) model into its design. Drawing from literature analysis, the intervention plan was structured into three distinct modules: information, motivation, and behavioral skills. The comprehensive intervention encompassed disseminating knowledge on Internet addiction, identifying and avoiding triggers, fostering withdrawal motivation, imparting coping strategies for cravings and challenging situations, enhancing self-efficacy, and facilitating access to personal and social support. Participants who followed the WeChat public account received automated push notifications containing articles or videos every two days. Throughout the intervention period, engagement was monitored by tracking the readership of the sent content through the WeChat public account's backend data.

Intervention group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 24 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• College students diagnosed with Internet addiction, as evidenced by an IAT scale score of 40 or above.
• Age range between 18 and 24 years.
• Use WeChat software.
• Good physical health, capable of completing the whole process of the study.
• Voluntary participation with a signed Informed Consent form.

You may not qualify if:

• Presence of any mental illness or cognitive impairment.
• Current or impending receipt of psychological or pharmacological treatment for a mental health condition.
• Circumstances that would hinder participation, such as internships, suspensions, or other reasons for absence from school.
• Refusal to participate in the study.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Shihaiyan Shi: lead

Study Sites (1)

Anhui Medical University

Hefei, Anhui, 230032, China

Location

Related Publications (2)

• Bai Y, Qu J, Li D, Yin H. Neural basis underlying the relation between internet addiction tendency and sleep quality: The intrinsic default-mode network connectivity pathways. Int J Psychophysiol. 2024 Jan;195:112264. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2023.112264. Epub 2023 Nov 15.

  PMID: 37977269 BACKGROUND

• Aziz M, Chemnad K, Al-Harahsheh S, Abdelmoneium AO, Bagdady A, Hassan DA, Ali R. The influence of adolescents essential and non-essential use of technology and Internet addiction on their physical and mental fatigues. Sci Rep. 2024 Jan 19;14(1):1745. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-51655-x.

  PMID: 38242916 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Internet Addiction Disorder

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Technology Addiction; Behavior, Addictive; Compulsive Behavior; Impulsive Behavior; Behavior

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Model Details: Intervention Group: Intervention based on the IMB model through WeChat official account Control Group: No intervention, maintaining normal life and study status

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 9, 2024
• First Posted: November 26, 2024
• Study Start: March 1, 2023
• Primary Completion: June 19, 2023
• Study Completion: June 19, 2023
• Last Updated: November 26, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-11

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CN (1)