Effectiveness of Body Scan Training in Reducing Problematic Internet Use Among Female College Students

A body scan mindfulness training program reduced Problematic Internet Use (PIU) among female college students who used the internet at least six hours daily. PIU scores decreased from an average of 58.4 before the intervention to 47.8 afterward, with a further slight decline to 47.1 at follow-up. The change from pre-test to post-test was statistically significant, and the effect was maintained at follow-up. The findings suggest that body scan training may help reduce maladaptive internet use in this population.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Female college students are vulnerable to Problematic Internet Use (PIU) due to increased autonomy, abundant free time, and easy access to the internet. PIU may negatively affect physical and psychological health, academic performance, and social relationships, particularly when the internet is used as a coping mechanism for stress and negative emotions. Mindfulness, defined as non-judgmental awareness of present-moment experiences, has been suggested as a potential intervention for reducing maladaptive internet use. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of body scan training in reducing Problematic Internet Use among female college students. Participants consisted of eight active female college students who used the internet for at least six hours per day and demonstrated moderate to high levels of PIU. The study employed a quasi-experimental one group pretest–posttest with follow-up design. Problematic Internet Use was measured using the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale-2 (GPIUS-2). The intervention was based on an adapted mindfulness training module and consisted of five sessions delivered across two meetings. Descriptive analysis showed a decrease in PIU scores from pre-test (M = 58.4, SD = 8.02) to post-test (M = 47.8, SD = 4.62), with a further decrease at follow-up (M = 47.1, SD = 5.06). Friedman test results indicated a significant difference in PIU scores across the three measurement points (χ² = 12.30, p = .002). Durbin–Conover post hoc analysis revealed a significant difference between pre-test and post-test scores (p < .001), whereas no significant difference was found between post-test and follow-up scores (p = .350), suggesting that the intervention effects were maintained over time. These findings provide preliminary evidence that body scan training may be an effective intervention for reducing Problematic Internet Use among female college students.