Prevalence of Internet Gaming Disorder and Associated Factors Among High School Students in Zawiya City, Libya: A Cross-Sectional Study

Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has emerged as a significant public health concern globally and is increasingly recognized as a behavioral condition affecting adolescents. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of IGD and identify its association with sociodemographic, academic, behavioral, and psychological factors among high school students in Zawiya City, Libya. This cross-sectional study employed multistage cluster sampling, randomly selecting eight public high schools in Zawiya City, from which a total of 369 students were recruited. Data were collected between November 2024 and January 2025 using an interviewer-administered questionnaire that included sociodemographic characteristics, gaming-related behaviors, the nine-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form (IGDS9-SF), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale. Chi-square and t-tests were applied, with statistical significance set at P ≤ 0.05. Among 369 high school students, 50.4% were male and 43.1% were in 10th grade. Overall, 66.4% of students reported engaging in video gaming, of whom 62.4% were male. The prevalence of IGD was 7.3% among gamers (245 students), with a mean IGD score of 18.6. Furthermore, students with IGD demonstrated lower school attendance and lower grade point averages. More than half of gamers with IGD experienced moderate to severe anxiety, while 28% exhibited moderately severe to severe depression. The high prevalence of anxiety and depression, and IGD among high school gamers in Zawiya City, Libya, represents a significant public health concern. These findings highlight the need for additional studies to better identify underlying causes and to guide the development of targeted prevention strategies and effective educational interventions.