Prevalence of Internet Addiction and Its Association With Lifestyle Factors Among University Students: A Pilot Study in Eastern India.

BACKGROUND

Internet addiction (IA), identified as compulsive use of the internet, is characterized by an individual's unwillingness to cease internet usage despite adverse impacts on their mental, physical, and psychological well-being. Recent studies reporting a high prevalence of IA among university students have also found an association of IA with factors such as academic performance, depression, obesity, substance abuse, unhealthy diet, and more. Among all the factors, lifestyle factors were the least explored. Hence, this study was carried out to find the prevalence of IA and its association with diet preferences and physical activity.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional pilot study conducted among university students in eastern India. We included 100 enrolled students from different courses at the university. A standardized tool was prepared, including socio-demographic and lifestyle factors, especially diet and physical activity. Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT) scale was used to estimate the IA among the students.

RESULTS

The mean age of the students was 19.1 ± 1.40 years, with a male majority of 55 (55%). Almost half of the students were studying engineering (48, 48%). Most students were non-vegetarian (58, 58%) and exercised less than three days per week (54, 54%). IA was found in 71 (71%) of students. Out of all students, 59 (59%) had mild addiction, 11 (11%) had moderate addiction, and one (1%) had severe addiction to the internet. Non-vegetarian food preference was significantly associated with the severity of IA. We found no statistically significant association between age, gender, obesity, physical activity, or courses enrolled with IA.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study revealed a high prevalence of IA among university students, which was significantly associated with eating preferences. Although students with IA were less involved in physical activity, it was not statistically significant. Further studies can generate more evidence on IA in the eastern region of India.