Table 3.
Bonferroni post-hoc tests showing change of problematic use of internet-related activities and worry concerning COVID-19 infection
| Before outbreak (T1) | During outbreak (T2) | During recovery (T3) | Bonferroni comparisona | |
| Group 1 (N = 195) | ||||
| Worry concerning COVID-19 infection | 3.86 (3.17) | 3.01 (3.46) | T2 > T3 | |
| FCV-19S | 1.83 (0.89) | |||
| SABAS | 1.08 (0.26) | 1.47 (0.68) | 1.40 (0.72) | T2 > T1, T3 > T1 |
| BSMAS | 1.09 (0.31) | 1.23 (0.41) | 1.20 (0.42) | T2 > T1, T3 > T1 |
| IGDS9-SF | 1.02 (0.08) | 1.13 (0.28) | 1.16 (0.42) | T2 > T1, T3 > T1 |
| Group 2 (N = 268) | ||||
| Worry concerning COVID-19 infection | 4.50 (3.32) | 3.87 (3.50) | T2 > T3 | |
| FCV-19S | 2.23 (0.98) | |||
| SABAS | 1.78 (0.63) | 1.93 (0.94) | 1.87 (0.93) | T2 > T1 |
| BSMAS | 1.57 (0.51) | 1.44 (0.65) | 1.43 (0.62) | T1 > T2, T1 > T3 |
| IGDS9-SF | 1.40 (0.40) | 1.35 (0.49) | 1.34 (0.56) | – |
| Group 3 (N = 41) | ||||
| Worry concerning COVID-19 infection | 5.18 (3.86) | 3.61 (3.93) | – | |
| FCV-19S | 2.42 (1.21) | |||
| SABAS | 3.81 (1.00) | 2.50 (1.20) | 2.35 (1.13) | T1 > T2, T1 > T3 |
| BSMAS | 2.22 (0.81) | 1.92 (0.90) | 1.52 (0.61) | T1 > T3, T2 > T3 |
| IGDS9-SF | 2.56 (0.76) | 1.86 (0.83) | 1.56 (0.64) | T1 > T2 > T3 |
| All participants (N = 504) | ||||
| Worry concerning COVID-19 infection | 4.31 (3.33) | 3.52 (3.54) | T2 > T3 | |
| FCV-19S | 2.11 (1.00) | |||
| SABAS | 1.68 (0.91) | 1.80 (0.92) | 1.72 (0.92) | T2 > T1 |
| BSMAS | 1.44 (0.58) | 1.40 (0.62) | 1.35 (0.56) | T1 > T3 |
| IGDS9-SF | 1.34 (0.55) | 1.30 (0.50) | 1.29 (0.53) | – |
| Group comparisons with Bonferroni adjustmentb | ||||
| Worry concerning COVID-19 infection | – | G3 > G1, G2 > G1 | G2 > G1 | |
| FCV-19S | – | – | G3 > G1, G2 > G1 | |
| SABAS | G3 > G2 > G1 | G3 > G2 > G1 | G3 > G2 > G1 | |
| BSMAS | G3 > G2 > G1 | G3 > G2 > G1 | G3 > G1, G2 > G1 | |
| IGDS9-SF | G3 > G2 > G1 | G3 > G2 > G1 | G3 > G1, G2 > G1 | |
SABAS = Smartphone Application Based Addiction Scale; BSMAS = Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale; IGDS9-SF = Nine-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form; FCV-19S = Fear of COVID-19 Scale.
Group 1 = Having the lowest level of problematic internet use; Group 2 = Having the middle level of problematic internet use; Group 3 = Having the highest level of problematic internet use.
aT1, T2, and T3 represent before COVID-19 outbreak, during COVID-19 outbreak, and during COVID-19 recovery, respectively.
bG1, G2, and G3 represent Groups 1, 2 and 3 respectively.