Adaptation, Translation, and Validation of Internet Addiction Test (IAT) to Detect Internet Addiction Disorder among 15-19-Year-Old Adolescents in Colombo District, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Over the years, the Internet and information technology have become a crucial part of the day-to-day activities of modern human lives. Meanwhile, there is a rising concern regarding those who are excessively using technology which can lead to Internet addiction. This may eventually result in marked distress and functional impairments of the general life of youth such as academic performance, social interaction, future occupational interest, and behavioral problems. Nonetheless, the condition is widespread and problematic, limited scientific evidence is available on the diagnosis of Internet Addiction Disorder globally as well as locally. The objective of this study was to adapt, translate and validate an instrument (Internet Addiction Test) to assess Internet addiction disorder to the Tamil Language among 15-19-year-old adolescents in Colombo district. Internet Addiction Test (IAT) developed by Young (1998) was adapted, translated, and validated into Tamil language resulting IAT-Tamil version by conducting a descriptive cross-sectional validation study. The developed tool was intended to assess Internet addiction disorder among 15-19-year-old adolescents in Colombo district. Statistical analysis was carried out to test the construct validity with a sample of 225 and a sample of 240 for the Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The statistical analysis was carried out by using SPSS-21 (Principal Component Analysis) and LISREL 8.8 (Confirmatory Factor Analysis). The reliability was assessed by internal consistency and test-retest reliability methods. The IAT-Tamil version demonstrated a three-factor model with 20 items and the model indices were RMSEA=0.07, CFI=0.91, NNFI=0.87, and SRMR=0.066. It also demonstrated excellent levels of reliability with a Cronbach alpha value of 0.948. The IAT-Tamil version was a valid and reliable tool to assess Internet addiction disorder among 15-19-year-old school-going adolescents in Sri Lanka. The validated IAT-Tamil version is recommended to use in future local studies and to aid the policymakers and the administrators in the prevention, diagnosis, and management of Internet addiction disorder among this age group.