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

The Effectiveness of WeChat Public Account Intervention Based on the IMB Model Among College Students With Internet Addiction: A Randomized Controlled Trial

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Internet Addiction
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Intervention Name: WeChat Intervention Based on the IMB Model

Detailed Description

Background:

With the rise of digital technology, internet addiction has become a significant concern among college students, affecting their academic performance and mental health. The Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) model has shown promise in understanding and addressing health behaviors, including addiction.

Objective:

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a WeChat public account intervention based on the IMB model in reducing internet addiction among college students. The study also aims to explore the underlying mechanisms that lead to changes in addictive behaviors, contributing to the development of a new online treatment model for internet addiction.

Methods:

A total of 226 college students diagnosed with internet addiction were recruited and randomly assigned to either an intervention group (n=113) or a control group (n=113) using stratified randomization based on gender. The intervention group participated in a structured six-week program that leveraged a WeChat public account to deliver content designed to educate about internet addiction, identify triggers, enhance motivation to change, and improve behavioral skills. The control group maintained their regular routines without any intervention. Data were collected before and after the intervention period using standardized measures, including the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), and assessed for internet usage time, sleep duration, sleep quality, and somatic-psychological symptoms.

Interventions:

The intervention was structured around three modules: information, motivation, and behavioral skills. Participants in the intervention group received automated push notifications with articles or videos every two days through the WeChat public account. The content was designed to provide knowledge about internet addiction, strategies to cope with cravings, and methods to enhance self-efficacy and access to support. The intervention was monitored through the account's backend data to track engagement.

Data Collection and Outcome Measures:

The main outcome measure was the IAT scale score, which assesses the severity of internet addiction. Secondary outcomes included changes in internet usage time, sleep duration, sleep quality, and somatic-psychological symptoms. Data were analyzed using Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM) and Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) to evaluate the impact of the intervention and to identify differences pre- and post-intervention.

Significance:

The findings of this study could provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of digital interventions for internet addiction and contribute to the development of targeted prevention and treatment strategies for college students.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 226
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• China
  • Anhui
    • Hefei, Anhui, China, 230032
      • Anhui Medical University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 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.

Exclusion Criteria:

• 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.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention group; 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; 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.
No Intervention: Control group; Control group: without any intervention, maintain normal life and study state.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
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 Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Internet Usage Time	Internet Time Measurement: Minutes Description: Higher values indicate longer internet usage time.	From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks
Sleep Duration	Sleep Duration Measurement: Minutes Description: Higher values indicate longer sleep time	From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks.
Sleep Quality	Sleep Quality Measurement Tool: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) Description: Scores range from 0 to 3, with higher scores indicating poorer sleep quality. This RCT includes only the components of sleep quality and sleep duration.	From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks.
Somatic-Psychological Symptoms	Somatic-Psychological Symptoms Measurement Tool: Symptom Checklist Description: Binary outcomes indicating the presence or absence of specific symptoms, including Dizziness, Eye Discomfort, Gastrointestinal Problems, Low Mood, and Anxiety.	From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks.

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Knowledge of Internet Addiction (Information)	Knowledge of Internet Addiction (Information) Measurement Tool: Self-designed questionnaire based on "Knowledge and Attitude of Internet Addiction" by Huang Yurong et al. Description: Comprises 10 judgment questions with a scoring system (1 point for correct, 0 for incorrect/unclear), including reverse scoring for items 3, 4, 7, and 9 to minimize bias. Total score ranges from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating better knowledge.	From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks.
Motivation for Internet Addiction Improvement (Motivation)	Motivation for Internet Addiction Improvement (Motivation): Measurement Tool: Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire (TSRQ), Chinese version by Zhou Chenxi et al. Description: 15-item questionnaire with a 7-point Likert scale, scoring from 15 to 105. Higher scores indicate stronger motivation for treatment.	From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks.
Internet Control Self-Efficacy (Behavioral Skills)	Internet Control Self-Efficacy (Behavioral Skills) Measurement Tool: Internet Control Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (ICSQ) by Luo et al. Description: 12-item questionnaire focusing on time management, task control, and purpose clarity. 4-point Likert scale, total score from 12 to 48. Higher scores indicate greater self-efficacy in controlling internet use.	From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Shihaiyan Shi

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• 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.
• 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.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 1, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 19, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): June 19, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 9, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 25, 2024
• First Posted (Estimated): November 26, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): November 26, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 25, 2024
• Last Verified: November 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Randomized controlled trial; Intervention; Internet addiction; IMB model; WeChat public accounts
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Technology Addiction; Compulsive Behavior; Impulsive Behavior; Internet Addiction Disorder; Behavior, Addictive
• Other Study ID Numbers: 20190495

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No