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Family-Based Preventive Interventions for Problematic Internet Use Among Children and Adolescents: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

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International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, an international, peer-reviewed Open Access journal.

Summary

This protocol outlines a systematic review and meta-analysis assessing family-based interventions to mitigate problematic internet use, including gaming and smartphone addiction, among youth. While the study addresses behavioral issues related to digital technology consumption, it does not engage with existential or catastrophic risks posed by frontier artificial intelligence systems. The research lacks focus on AI safety, alignment, or governance, instead concentrating on public health and psychosocial outcomes. Consequently, its relevance to global AI safety policy or high-level catastrophic risk reduction is negligible.

Body

attachment Supplementary material: Supplementary File 1 (ZIP, 637 KB) 12 pages, 375 KB   Open AccessProtocol Family-Based Preventive Interventions for Problematic Internet Use Among Children and Adolescents: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis by Saya Moriyama, Minoru Takahashi, Aimi Hayashi and Takayuki Harada Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2026, 23(5), 637; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23050637 (registering DOI) - 11 May 2026 Abstract Problematic internet use among children and adolescents is a major public health concern. In this protocol, it is defined as construct encompassing problematic gaming, social media use, smartphone use, and undifferentiated use, characterized by impaired control, prioritization, and persistence despite harm. It is [...] Read more. Problematic internet use among children and adolescents is a major public health concern. In this protocol, it is defined as construct encompassing problematic gaming, social media use, smartphone use, and undifferentiated use, characterized by impaired control, prioritization, and persistence despite harm. It is associated with academic, sleep, and psychosocial difficulties. However, preventive interventions—particularly family-based—remain underexplored despite evidence linking parenting and family functioning to risk. This protocol outlines systematic review and meta-analysis of family-based preventive interventions among children and adolescents (6–18 years). Randomized controlled, quasi-randomized, cluster-randomized, and quasi-experimental studies with parallel comparison groups will be included. Comparators defined as no intervention, waitlist, usual care, or non-family-based prevention. Searches will be conducted in CENTRAL, PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and CiNii Research, supplemented by reference screening. Risk-of-bias will be assessed using RoB 2 and ROBINS-I. Primary outcomes include changes in overall and subtype-specific severity; secondary outcomes include use time, family functioning, and parental involvement. Random-effects meta-analyses with Hartung–Knapp adjustment will be conducted when ≥3 homogeneous studies are available; otherwise, findings will be synthesized narratively following the Synthesis Without Meta-analysis guideline. This review will synthesize current evidence and clarify role of family-based prevention, informing research and public health strategies. Full article (This article belongs to the Special Issue Addressing Risk Behavior in Children and Adolescents)