The Relation between Health Status and Internet Addiction among Adolescents | ||
| Alexandria Scientific Nursing Journal | ||
| Volume 21, Issue 2, December 2019, Pages 83-96 PDF (230.95 K) | ||
| Document Type: Research articles | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/asalexu.2019.206599 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Mona Shaheen* 1; Yosur Gaafar2; Maha Mohammed Elshater2; Rodaina Mokbel1 | ||
| 1Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Damanhour University | ||
| 2Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Internet plays a fundamental role in society. It is an easy access for information exchange and academic research. Prolonged use of internet can lead to internet addiction resulting in marked distress and/or functional impairment in psychological, physical and social daily life activities. Objective: Assess the relation between health status and internet addiction among adolescents. Setting: The study was conducted at outpatient clinics at Damanhour Medical National Institute. Subjects: Simple random sample of 200 adolescents of both sexes were included, their ages ranged from 13-18 years. Tools: Three tools were used; Socio-demographic Characteristics of the Adolescents and Their Pattern of Internet Usage, Internet Addiction Test and Assessment of Internet Addiction Consequences on the Health Status among Adolescents. Results: The present study revealed that the majority of the adolescents (87%) used the internet daily and (85%) of them used internet at night. The most commonly reported adverse physical effects were: eye irritation, followed by wrist &arm pain, and numbness and tingling in the hand fingers. Nearly three-quarter of the adolescents (73.5%) were eating junk food and skipping basic meals. Adolescents' sleep duration was affected by internet usage as reported by two thirds of adolescents (67%). Two thirds of the adolescents' families complained about their prolonged duration of using internet. Half of adolescents (50%) had bad mood during attempts to reduce the internet usage. Conclusion: Excessive internet use is associated with adverse health effects and unhealthy behaviors. Recommendations: A concentrated awareness program to be planned targeting school specialists and parents, and implementation of different workshops for adolescents about physical, psychological and social risks of excessive internet use. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Internet Addiction; Health Status; Adolescents | ||
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