Education as a double-edged sword: Determinants of self-rated health among mobile gamers making in-game purchases based on the rainbow model

Mobile gaming has surged globally due to smartphone portability and fragmented play, yet health effects of flow through gaming remain underexplored. Using the Dahlgren-Whitehead Rainbow Model, this study examines self-rated health among 189 mobile gamers who make in-game purchases. Regression analysis shows flow experience, perceived usefulness of continued purchasing, and playing foreign games significantly enhance perceived health by fostering environmental mastery and psychological escape, while education negatively affects self-rated health. In-game spending and higher education significantly boost flow experience, revealing education as a double-edged sword in digital contexts. These findings underscore complex relationship between socioeconomic factors and digital coping mechanisms