National Journal of Community Medicine (May 2017)
Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Internet Addiction in College Going Students in Nanded city
Abstract
Introduction: There has been an explosive growth in the use of internet not only in India but also worldwide in the last decade. The internet is used by some to facilitate research, to seek information, for interpersonal communication, and for business transactions. It was necessary to evaluate pattern of internet usage, risk factors and prevalence of internet addiction in college students. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in different colleges across in the Nanded Waghala City Municipal Corporation during the period March – April 2016.Pre-validated, Pre-tested, structured questionnaire was developed. Young’s 20-item scale for Internet addiction (YIAT) was applied to qualify for the prevalence of Internet addiction. The 12-item General Health Questionnaire has excellent psychometric properties as a screening instrument for psychiatric disorders in nonclinical settings. Results: This study of college students aged 17-25 years with marginally high male representation (54%), identified 30 % and 35 % as students with mild and moderate Internet addiction respectively. Binary logistic regression found Internet addiction to be associated with male gender, continuous login status, online friendships and online relationship. Conclusions: This study’s results shows that Internet addiction is a growing public health issue, having multiple risk factors and varied patterns of Internet use, in a place where the Internet is becoming an inclusive part of an individual’s personal and social life.
