Psychometric Properties and Measurement Invariance of the Malay Version of the YouTube Addiction Scale Among University Students

Nguyen TTB 1 , Gan WY 2 , Huang YT 3 , Tung SEH 4 , Poon WC 5 , Siaw YL 6 Show all authors , Tham WS 4 , Griffiths MD 7 , Pakpour AH 8 , Lin CY 3 , Huang PC 9

Affiliations 

  • 1 Medical Simulation Center, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, Vietnam
  • 2 Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
  • 3 Institute of Allied Health Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
  • 4 Division of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science, School of Health Sciences, IMU University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 5 Department of Management, Sunway Business School, Sunway University, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia
  • 6 Faculty of Education, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 7 Psychology Department, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
  • 8 Department of Nursing, School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden
  • 9 Department of Physiotherapy, School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR
Eval Health Prof, 2026 Dec;49(4):412-422.
PMID: 41605878 DOI: 10.1177/01632787261419171

Abstract

The primary objectives of the present cross-sectional study were to translate and culturally adapt the YouTube Addiction Scale (YAS) into Malay and to evaluate its reliability, factorial validity, concurrent validity, and measurement invariance across gender and ethnicity among Malaysian university students. A total of 690 students participated (mean age = 21.29 years [SD ± 2.42]; 74% female). Confirmatory factor analysis supported a unidimensional YAS structure with good fit (CFI = 0.98, TLI = 0.97, SRMR = 0.06, RMSEA = 0.07). The scale exhibited strong reliability (α = 0.83, ω = 0.84) and measurement invariance across gender and ethnicity. YAS scores showed correlation with Smartphone Application-Based Addiction Scale score (r = 0.17, p < 0.001) and Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale score (r = 0.23, p < 0.001), a weak correlation with time spent on social media (r = 0.09, p = 0.02), and no significant relationship with time spent on online gaming (r = 0.03, p = 0.47). The Malay YAS is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing YouTube addiction among Malaysian university students. Its unidimensional structure, strong reliability, robust measurement invariance across gender and ethnicity, and satisfactory concurrent validity support its application in research, screening, and intervention programs.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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