New perspectives on the prevalence and associated factors of gaming disorder in Hong Kong community adults: A generational approach

Abstract

Gaming disorder (GD) has been widely examined in younger gamers, but scholars have yet to thoroughly investigate this phenomenon in a broader spectrum of adults. We performed nuanced analysis of the prevalence and associated factors of GD among three generations of Hong Kong adults, namely, Millennials, Generation X'ers, and Baby Boomers. Our study further examined the associations between GD and three mental health indicators (i.e., social anxiety, loneliness, and depression) and investigated the moderating role in such associations played by four demographic variables (i.e., gender, relationship status, education level, and generation). A community sample of 847 Hong Kong adults was recruited (39% male, mean age = 49.9 years, age range = 18–73). The estimated prevalence of GD was 8.3% in the gamer sample, and 2.6% in the overall sample, with significant differences in generation and relationship status between the GD and non-GD groups. All three mental health indicators were positively associated with GD, and relationship status and education level were found to moderate the association between social anxiety and GD. These findings reveal GD to be a mental health concern not only for Millennial gamers but also for older gamers, Generation X'ers in particular.