Predictors of online interactions with strangers in adolescents with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A prospective study.

Background: This study identified the cross-sectional and 1-year predictors of both passive exposure to online interactions with strangers and active engagement in such interactions among adolescents, focusing on individual factors (sex, age, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD] diagnosis, and impulsivity) and environmental factors (satisfaction with family and peer relationships).

Methods: The sample comprised 349 adolescents (176 with ADHD and 173 without) and their parents. At baseline, data on lifetime online interactions with strangers, impulsivity, and satisfaction with family and peer relationships were examined. One year later, 249 adolescents (71.3 % of the original sample) completed a follow-up survey on their experiences with online interactions with strangers during the preceding year. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the cross-sectional and prospective predictors of such interactions.

Results: The results revealed that 26.9 % of adolescents experienced passive exposure to online interactions with strangers, whereas 16.5 % actively interacted with strangers online during the 1-year follow-up period. Multivariable logistic regression revealed that older age (p = 0.004) and lack of foresight and self-control (p = 0.043) cross-sectionally correlated with active engagement at baseline. Older age (p = 0.041) and baseline exposure to online interactions with strangers (p = 0.014) significantly predicted passive exposure at follow-up. Additionally, older age (p = 0.012), ADHD diagnosis (p = 0.005), lack of foresight and self-control (p = 0.032), and baseline active online interactions with strangers (p < 0.001) significantly predicted active engagement at follow-up.

Conclusion: These findings highlight multiple factors that prospectively predict such interactions.