This study examined associations between problematic Internet use, video game addiction, physical activity, perceived physical fitness, and psychological distress in pre-service teachers. A cross-sectional survey was completed by 404 education students from the University of La Laguna using validated measures (CERI, Vela Test, IPAQ-short, IFIS, GHQ-28). Descriptive, correlational, group-comparison, and binary logistic regression analyses were conducted. The prevalence of video game addiction was low (4%), and problematic Internet use was rare (1%), although 25.3% showed moderate-risk Internet use. Within the small group of students with video game addiction, male students showed relatively higher risk scores; however, this was not significantly associated with physical or emotional well-being. Problematic Internet use was positively associated with psychological distress (r = 0.267, p < 0.001) and poorer physical health indicators. Perceived physical fitness was inversely associated with distress (r = −0.248, p < 0.001) and, together with problematic Internet use, emerged as the strongest predictors with clinically relevant distress (GHQ ≥ 13) in the logistic model. A focus group (n = 4) provided exploratory qualitative insights into participants’ perceptions of digital behaviours, particularly regarding perceived loss of control and its potential associations with academic, physical, and emotional well-being.
Martínez-Murciano et al. (Fri,) studied this question.