Alexithymia as a Mediator Between Digital Game Addiction and Awareness of Exercise Addiction

This study examined the associations among digital game addiction, alexithymia, and awareness of exercise addiction in university students and investigated the indirect role of alexithymia in the relationship between digital game addiction and awareness of exercise addiction. The study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional correlational research design and included 328 university students. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Digital Game Addiction Scale, the Awareness of Exercise Addiction Scale, and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and bootstrap-based mediation analysis using PROCESS Macro Model 4 were performed. Digital game addiction was positively and significantly associated with alexithymia (r = .320, p < .001). However, digital game addiction was not significantly associated with awareness of exercise addiction (r = −.073, p = .187), and the association between alexithymia and awareness of exercise addiction was also not statistically significant (r = .088, p = .111). The total effect (B = −.0519, p = .1866) and direct effect (B = −.0801, p = .0524) of digital game addiction on awareness of exercise addiction were not statistically significant. Nevertheless, the bootstrap analysis revealed a statistically significant indirect effect through alexithymia (B = .0282, 95% CI [.0029, .0564]). These findings indicate a significant indirect statistical association involving alexithymia. Given the cross-sectional design, this indirect effect should not be interpreted as evidence of a causal or temporal mechanism.