Abstract
This study was aimed to assess the degree of addiction on computer games and find factors related to game addiction, health perception and health promoting behavior in elementary school students. A study subjects were 814 students in 5th and 6th grades at 4 elementary schools in a city and a county. The items in questionnaire was consisted of general characteristics, circumstances and habits related to utilization of computer and internet game playing, and degree of addiction, health perception and health promoting behavior. We analyzed data using chi-square test, t-test, ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis. In multiple regression analysis, addictiveness on internet game was significantly related to type of computer utilization, frequency and duration of internet game playing, gender, after-school activities, grade points, economical status, and location of computer in a house. Health perception was significantly related to addiction points, gender, residential area, and grade points. And health promoting behavior was significantly related to addiction points, grade level, grade points, and health perception points. Since health promoting behaviors of children in elementary school are in the way of making, their degree of addiction to computer games can greatly influence their attitude towards health and their future life pattern as adults. Therefore an educational prevention program including counselling on game addiction should be devised. And researches will be needed for developing the Korean standard for measuring degree of addiction and a prevention program for peer group's game addiction.
