Biostatistics
Hojat Allah Moradi Pordanjani; Ali Mohammad Amani Shalamzari; Seyyed-Ali Derakhshan; Houshang Beikbakan
Volume 2, Issue 2 , Spring 2015, , Pages 99-104
Abstract
Background and aims: Internet seems to be increasingly involved a major part of the daily lives of population. In recent years, many reports have confirmed the huge number of internet users worldwide. This article is seeking to explore the factors contributing to the tendency to internet in students ...
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Background and aims: Internet seems to be increasingly involved a major part of the daily lives of population. In recent years, many reports have confirmed the huge number of internet users worldwide. This article is seeking to explore the factors contributing to the tendency to internet in students of Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences (SKUMS) and aimed to recommend some preventive strategies to deal with their extreme tendencies to the internet usage. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted among 378 students and teachers of SKUMS, randomly enrolled using stratified random sampling from different faculties. To measure the variables, a questionnaire was used. Results: The results showed that the factors such as the tendency to make temporary friends, more attention to the opposite sex, and the loneliness were the most important determinants of extreme tendency to the internet usage. The designing some courses in different educational periods in order to make them more familiar with various online crimes as well as ways of self-protection was one of the most important preventive strategies to deal with extreme tendency to internet. Conclusion: Several factors could contribute into extreme tendency to internet among university students, which have to be identified, and effective strategies should also be exploited to deal with the extreme tendency to internet.
Epidemiology
Ataollah Hashemian; Ashraf Direkvand-Moghadam; Ali Delpisheh; Azadeh Direkvand-Moghadam
Volume 1, Issue 1 , Autumn 2014, , Pages 9-15
Abstract
Background and aims: Internet addiction is one of the problems emerged with the development of technology. Considering the potential negative effects of internet addiction on health, the present study aimed to determine the prevalence of internet addiction in university students in Ilam, west of Iran, ...
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Background and aims: Internet addiction is one of the problems emerged with the development of technology. Considering the potential negative effects of internet addiction on health, the present study aimed to determine the prevalence of internet addiction in university students in Ilam, west of Iran, in 2014.
Methods:In this cross– sectional study, 1066 university students in both public and private sectors were assessed in 2014. The samples were selected by multi-stage random sampling method. Data were collected by a two-part questionnaire: the personal characteristics and Internet Addiction Test (IAT)-20. This 20-itemed questionnaire measures internet addiction in mild, moderate and severe levels. Each answer is scored based on a Likert scale from 1 to 5. The higher score represents a greater level of addiction. The total score between 20 and 49 represented mild, 50-79 showed moderate and 80-100 was severe addiction.
Results:Overall, 466 (43.7%) of students were placed in the Internet addiction group. Generally, 39.6% of students had mild and 4.1% had moderate addiction. No case of sever Internet addiction was seen. Prevalence of internet addiction in the medical students was higher compared to nonmedical students (P< 0.0001).
Conclusion: Based on the results, internet addiction should be considered as a serious problem in adolescents and young adults. So, it is necessary that proper use of internet to be educated to adolescents and young adults to prevent the risk of internet addiction.