ABSTRACT:
Study Objectives: To investigate (i) the prevalence and incidence of online and video gaming disorder in an African population, and (ii) whether gaming is associated with sleep disorders and psychopathological symptoms, including anxiety and depression.
Methods: Data were collected in South Africa, Cameroon, Morocco, Rwanda, Tunisia, Gabon, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Senegal. Participants were students aged of 24 ± 2.8 years. Problematic gaming, sociodemographic items, insomnia, associated comorbities, depression and anxiety were measured. The effect of continuous gaming time (after 1, 6 and 12 months) on severity of sleep disorders and the distribution of gamers per country and per type of device were also calculated.
Results: African gamers expressed a preference for online gaming more than video gaming. Men played video games for an average of 14 hours per week, and women for around three hours per week. The smartphone was the favourite gaming tool for both men and women. Effect of continuous gaming time on the decrease of sleep is significant (F (2.1) = 40.26; p < 0.001). After 1 month, participants has no clinical insomnia, but after 6 months they developed subthreshold insomnia and clinical moderate insomnia. Problematic gaming was not associated with anxiety and depression but was associated with an increased of musculoskeletal impairments.
Conclusions: After 6 months of continuous gaming time, sleep is affected. Problematic gaming, regardless if it is video or online; induced a clinical insomnia. The more months a participant spent gaming, the higher the chance for experiencing sleep disorder symptoms.
