The relationship between internet addiction and risky health behaviors in university students: A cross‐sectional study in Turkey

Abstract

Purpose:The study was carried out to determine the relationship between internet addiction and risky health behaviors in university students.Design and Methods: The study, which is cross-sectional research, was conducted with 606 university students in the 2019-2020 academic year and used face-to-face interviews.Findings: It was determined that 7.15% of the students had internet addiction with limited symptoms. A positive and significant relationship was found between internet addiction and risky health behaviors (p < 0.05).Practice Implications: To reduce internet addiction and risky health behaviors, counseling, planning peer education programs, and creating an environment where students can express themselves should be provided. It is also recommended that students develop relationships with their social environment and participate in social activitieshealth, internet addiction, risky health behaviors, university students | INTRODUCTIONWith the spread and increased use of the internet worldwide, the problem of internet addiction has emerged and become an increasing threat to public health. 1,2 It is estimated that the prevalence of internet addiction among adolescents worldwide is between 1% and 18%, and the prevalence in Europe is 4.4%. 3 According to a meta-analysis conducted in China (n: 122,454), it was stated that the general prevalence of internet addiction among university students is 11.3%. 4 In a study conducted with nursing students in Jordan (n: 163), it was stated that 67.5% of the students had internet addiction. 5 In a study conducted with university students in Malaysia, it was found that 9.6% of the students (n: 525) had a high degree of internet addiction. 6 Considering the studies conducted to analyze the relationship between university students and internet addiction in Turkey, in the study of Aslan and Yazıcı 7 (n: 910), it was found that the rate of internet addiction was 2% and that the rate of risky internet users was 20.9%. In the study of Karasu et al. 8 (n: 473), it was stated that 29.4% of the students showed limited symptoms and that 5.7% were pathological internet users. In a study by Babacan et al. 9 (n: 375), it was found that 3.7% of the students had internet addiction whereas 30.4% had internet addiction with limited symptoms. In the study of Günay et al. 10 (n: 1288), it was stated that 0.2% had internet addiction and that 7.5% had internet addiction with limited symptoms.The adolescent period is a special developmental period in which physical, psychological, and social changes occur rapidly. It is a stressful period for the individual when s/he wants to gain independence, tries to make decisions on his/her own, and carries anxiety for the future. In this process, failure in stress management can lead to risky health behaviors such as failure to protect one's own health (smoking, alcohol and drug use, and unprotected sexual intercourse) and unhealthy diet. 11

Internet Addiction in Socio-Demographic, Academic, and Psychological Profile of College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Czech Republic and Slovakia

“…The total scores were the sum of the coded responses. Based on this, depressive symptoms were identified as follows: no depressive symptoms (0-4), mild depressive symptoms (5)(6)(7)(8)(9), moderate depressive symptoms (10)(11)(12)(13)(14), moderately severe depressive symptoms (15)(16)(17)(18)(19), and severe depressive symptoms (20 or more). Anxiety symptoms were identified as follows: no anxiety symptoms (0-4), mild anxiety symptoms (5)(6)(7)(8)(9), moderate anxiety symptoms (10)(11)(12)(13)(14), and severe anxiety symptoms (15 or more).…”

“…Relationships, acceptance and integration, academic performance, meeting expectations, but also future employability are important aspects at this time. The consequences of problematic internet use by college students can be poor academic performance, disinterest in engaging in other activities, excessive daytime sleepiness ( 7 ), poor sleep quality ( 8 ), reduced academic engagement (dedication and vigor) ( 9 ), risky health behaviors ( 10 ), but also health problems, such as being under- or over-weight ( 11 , 12 ), migraine ( 12 , 13 ), back pain ( 12 ), or increased resting heart rate ( 14 ). These are reasons for increased vigilance about young people's use of the internet.…”

Levels of Internet Addiction, Loneliness and Related Factors Among University Students: An Example of Türkiye: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…22 Özarıcı and Cangöl Söğüt found a significant difference between students' Internet Addiction Scale scores and their age, perception of friendship relations, perception of school success and leisure activities. 30 According to our results, it is possible to say that those who think that their relationships are not affected spend less time on the internet, internet use does not prevent their social lives and they more rarely feel alone.…”

Association between internet addiction and suicide and self-injury behavior in Chinese adolescents: A meta-analysis

“…SI, SP, and SA are all predictive factors for future suicide deaths [25], while NSSI behavior has a certain predictive role in increasing suicide risk [26]. A large amount of research has demonstrated a positive correlation between adolescent IA and suicidal and selfharm behaviors [27][28][29]. However, Liu et al [30]demonstrated that after controlling for depression variables, there was no correlation between adolescent IA and NSSI.…”