Digital Game Addiction Among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study of Sociodemographic, Behavioral, and Psychosocial Correlates

Digital game addiction (DGA) is an emerging concern among university students. This study examined DGA scale scores, scale classifications, and their associations with sociodemographic, behavioral, and psychosocial factors among university students. This cross-sectional study included 871 undergraduate students from five faculties at Osmaniye Korkut Ata University. Data were collected using the Digital Game Addiction Scale for University Students and a Personal Information Form. Group differences were assessed using Mann–Whitney U, Kruskal–Wallis H with Dunn–Bonferroni post hoc comparisons, and chi-square tests. Multivariable binary logistic regression with backward Wald elimination was performed. The mean DGA scale score was 34.88 ± 14.63, corresponding to the scale-defined low-risk level, and 3.6% of students fell within the scale-defined addicted or highly addicted categories. Male students had significantly higher DGA scale scores than females (p < 0.001). In the multivariable binary logistic regression analysis, daily online gaming duration, years of gaming, age at first phone ownership, preferred gaming device, and hobby status showed significant overall associations with an above-normal DGA scale classification. These findings may provide useful contextual information for further assessment of problematic digital gaming behavior among university students.