Abstract:
Background: Nowadays, the prevalence of adolescents and young adults playing games on the internet is increasing worldwide. However, excessive game playing can cause game addiction among adolescents. Studies have demonstrated that game addiction increases the risks of physical and mental health problems, leading to occupational performance issues. Nevertheless, what level of game addiction impacts occupational health issues is controversial. Therefore, this study focused on the concept of occupational balance, which is an individuals perception of a proper amount and diversity of activities. The study demonstrated that occupational imbalance could lead to the decrease of individuals occupational performance. However, an appropriate instrument for screening occupational balance in young adults with game addiction has never been studied yet, especially in a Thai version. Objectives: This study aimed to develop a self-report questionnaire on occupational balance for Thai university students with game addiction. Materials and methods: The questionnaire consisted of 21 items were divided into four dimensions including the individuals perceptions of participating in meaningful activities, having the proper proportion of time to perform occupations, having the appropriate variety of occupations, and being satisfied with their health and well-being. In addition, the psychometric properties of a questionnaire were investigated. Results: The questionnaire had sufficient validity and good internal consistency for screening occupational balance in the Thai university students with game addiction. The questionnaire was divided into four dimensions and each dimension of the questionnaire also had good construct validity and good internal consistency. Conclusions: The questionnaire had acceptable validity and reliability for evaluating occupational balance for Thai university students with game addiction. This information can provide a new occupational therapy instrument for identifying occupational balance in population with game addiction.