Prevalence of Internet Addiction among Medical Students of Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences - A Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Haobijam Nirendrakumar Singh1 , Tonjam Hemchand Singh2 , Nongthonbam Surajkumar3 , Agatha Gangmei4

BACKGROUND Internet is a widely used tool. With its addictive property, this may lead to public health problems. The study intended to assess the prevalence & risk factors for Internet addiction in medical students of Manipur. METHODS This is a cross-sectional study conducted among medical students of Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) using Young’s 20-items Internet Addiction Test (IAT) questionnaire. RESULTS The response rate was 83.79 %. About 1 / 5 th of the students were Internet users with frequent or significant problems in their life. CONCLUSIONS About 1 / 5th of students in JNIMS reported problems from use of Internet. Semester, age, sex & religion of the students did not have any relationship with Internet addiction scores.

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