The translation and validation of the YouTube addiction scale in modern standard Arabic among emerging and young adults.

Authors

Haitham Jahrami, Khaled Trabelsi, Waqar Husain, Hadeel Ghazzawi, Zahra Saif, Achraf Ammar, Amir H Pakpour

Published in

Discover mental health. Volume 6. Issue 1. Jun 22, 2026. Epub Jun 22, 2026.

Abstract

The widespread use of YouTube has raised concerns about its potential for addiction, particularly in Arabic-speaking populations where social media consumption is prevalent. A culturally tailored tool to assess YouTube addiction is essential for effective research and intervention in these communities.
This study aimed to translate and validate the 6-item YouTube Addiction Scale (YAS) into Arabic, ensuring its psychometric robustness for assessing YouTube addiction among Arabic-speaking emerging and young adults.
A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,134 Arabic-speaking emerging and young adults from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Tunisia recruited through convenience sampling on social media platforms. The YAS was translated via the forward‒backward‒forward technique. The psychometric evaluation included confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), item response theory (IRT), reliability analyses (McDonald's ω, Cronbach's α, and composite reliability [CR]), and test-retest reliability. Convergent and divergent validity were assessed through correlations with the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Modified Yale Food Addiction Scale (mYFAS), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), and Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS).
The Arabic YAS demonstrated a unidimensional structure with adequate factor loadings (0.55-0.73). The model fit indices were excellent (CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.06, χ²(9) = 40.66, p < 0.001), with good internal consistency (ω = 0.81, α = 0.80, CR = 0.80) and test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.87). IRT analysis confirmed item fit (infit/outfit 0.86-1.17) and person reliability (0.78). Significant correlations with the total score of BSMAS (r = 0.66), DASS-21 (r = 0.40), mYFAS (r = 0.32), and ISI (r = 0.26) supported validity. Measurement invariance was confirmed across gender and weekly YouTube use. Scalar invariance was also supported across age groups (18-21 vs. 22-25 years).
The Arabic YAS is a psychometrically sound tool for assessing problematic YouTube use among Arabic-speaking emerging and young adults, enabling researchers and clinicians to screen for elevated risk in this high-engagement developmental stage. Further studies should examine age-related differences within and beyond emerging adulthood, as well as longitudinal patterns of use and associated outcomes in this population.

PMID:
42329497
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 22 Jun 2026.

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