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This study protocol describes a planned population-based survey of approximately 2,230 upper secondary school students in Finnmark, Arctic Norway, investigating problematic internet use among Sami and non-Sami adolescents. The research will examine how social norms, ethnic identity, and ethnicity-based discrimination relate to problematic internet use using a culturally adapted bilingual questionnaire and structural equation modeling. The study aims to identify risk and resilience factors for digital behavior problems in this geographically isolated, multiethnic region.
Why it matters
Understanding the specific factors contributing to problematic internet use in Indigenous and rural populations could inform culturally appropriate prevention and intervention strategies. The findings may help develop targeted mental health services and school-based programs for Sami youth and other Indigenous adolescents in remote regions.
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⚠️ Preprint – Noch nicht peer-reviewed
Dieser Artikel wurde noch nicht von unabhängigen Experten begutachtet. Die Ergebnisse sind vorläufig und sollten mit Vorsicht interpretiert werden.
Problematic Internet Use (PIU)–marked by compulsive or maladaptive online behavior–is an emerging public health issue among adolescents and is associated with psychological distress, social difficulties, and academic problems. In Finnmark County, Norways northernmost and ethnically diverse region, limited research has examined the underlying mechanisms of PIU among Sami and non-Sami youth, despite increasing levels of digital engagement. This study protocol outlines a population-based cross-sectional survey investigating the associations between social norms (descriptive and injunctive), ethnic identity, and ethnicity-based discrimination in relation to PIU among Sami and non-Sami adolescents in Finnmark. Guided by Social Norm Theory and Ethnic Identity Theory, the study aims to examine risk and resilience factors associated with adolescents digital behavior in a geographically sparsely populated, multiethnic region. A population-based, cross-sectional school survey will include all upper secondary school students in Finnmark County (N {approx} 2,230). A culturally adapted, bilingual questionnaire (Northern Sami – Norwegian) will measure problematic internet use, perceived social norms in family, peer, and school contexts, ethnic identity, ethnicity-based discrimination, positive internet use, and key covariates. Ethnicity will be classified based on indicators of Sami language use and self-identification. Data will be prepared using prespecified quality procedures and analyzed with partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine associations between social norms, ethnic identity, ethnicity-based discrimination, and internet use outcomes, including mediation and moderation. Group differences between Sami and non-Sami adolescents will be assessed using PLS Multi-Group Analysis. The findings may inform the development of culturally appropriate approaches to screening, prevention, and early intervention, and are relevant for mental health services, school-based programs, and public health strategies targeting Indigenous youth in rural and semi-rural regions.