Internet gaming disorder in undergraduate medical and dentistry students

Abstract

Introduction: The number of mobile game users has increased considerably over the last few years globally. Medical students are no exception to the increasing trend of gaming. Aim: The aim of this study was to find the prevalence of internet gaming disorder (IGD) and associated behavioral problems in medical and dentistry students. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on undergraduate medical and dentistry students of Christian Medical College and Christian Dental College, Ludhiana, from July 2016 to October 2016. The self-administered questionnaire was based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM-5) criteria for diagnosing IGD. Comparison was made between the individuals with IGD and without IGD for sleep, headache, and cognition-related problems. Chi-square and Student's t-tests were used. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Four hundred students participated in the study, of which 314 (78.5%) were medical and 86 (21.5%) dentistry students. Females 265 (66.2%) were a majority, and the mean age was 20.2 ± 9 years. Thirty-six students (9%) had IGD. Males were more commonly affected (males 22 [61.1%] vs. females 14 [38.9%], P < 0.001). The IGD group was more likely to play the games during classes (IGD group 24 [66.7%] vs. non-IGD group 176 [48.4%], P = 0.036) and tended to skip classes to continue gaming (IGD group 8 [22.5%] vs. non-IGD group 9 [2.5%], P < 0.001). The mean score for sleep and cognition-related problems was higher for the IGD group. Conclusion: IGD is prevalent among professional college students and is associated with sleep, headache, and cognition-related problems.

Keywords

• diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders-5
• internet gaming disorder
• mobile gaming