Abstract

Introduction. Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has emerged as a public health concern, particularly among adolescents. Despite its increasing prevalence in Latin America, validated tools for early detection in school-age populations are scarce in Spanish. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the IGDS9-SF in Chilean adolescents. Method. A cross- sectional instrumental study was conducted with 222 students aged 12 to 17 from public schools. The Spanish version of the IGDS9-SF was administered. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Exploratory Graph Analysis (EGA), and Confirmatory Network Analysis (CNA) were used to evaluate dimensionality. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega. Results. The original 9-item model demonstrated adequate fit; however, item 7 showed a low factor loading (λ = 0.395) and network loading (< 0.30). After its removal, the 8-item model exhibited improved fit indices (CFI = 0.997; RMSEA = 0.017). All remaining items loaded significantly in both CFA and CNA. Reliability was satisfactory (α = 0.807; ω = 0.819). Discussion. Findings support the use of an 8-item unidimensional version of the IGDS9-SF for Spanish-speaking adolescents. Results highlight the need for culturally and developmentally appropriate tools for early screening of IGD in Latin America.