Internet addiction test in foreign students from Romania

Background: Students are believed to be at a high risk with a marked increase in their internet usage worldwide. Problematic Internet use (PIU) is characterized by a lack of control over the concern, encouragement, or problems related to anxiety, stress and depression as a result of its use. Aim of the study: to identify the relation between problematic internet use and mental health status of technical nursing students in Tanta city. Design: A descriptive design was used in this study. This study was conducted at two secondary technical nursing schools and the technical health institute (nursing branch) in Tanta city. Subjects: A convenient sample of 273 students in the above mentioned schools was included in the study. Three tools were used by the researchers to obtain the necessary data, the structured questionnaire schedule, General health questionnaire (GHQ-28) and the Internet Addiction Test (IAT). Results: More than half of the studied students had frequent problems related to internet usage (56.4%) and about one third of them (31.9%) had a significant problems. Slightly less than two fifths of the studied subjects (38.8 %) had poor mental health. Significant differences were observed between the studied level of internet usage and their age, sex and social level (P= ˂0.001, 0.009 and 0.034) respectively. Conclusion: There were strong significant positive correlation between the level of internet usage and students' mental health status. Recommendations: Further studies needed to develop and implement rehabilitation programs, for students with psychological problems related to excessive internet usage.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between internet use and democracy in Africa. It examines the non-linearities and causality between the two variables in the short and long run for 38 countries in Africa.Design/methodology/approachThe study is empirical. It uses pooled mean group and causality tests for the sample of 38 African countries.FindingsThe panel long-run and short-run estimates show evidence of significant non-linear relationship between internet usage and democracy. While internet usage is significantly and negatively related to democracy, squared internet usage is significantly but positively related. This suggests that internet usage increases with the decrease of democracy, but after a certain level of internet usage which is the turning point, democracy starts to increase. Additionally, there is uni-directional causality from internet usage to democracy. However, a bi-directional causality exists between squared internet usage and democracy.Research limitations/implicationsThe empirical evidence from this study suggests that internet usage and democracy are highly interrelated to each other in Africa. The findings support that at the macro level, Africa is moving toward a new stage, where internet will lead to improved levels of democracy and digital politics.Practical implicationsRemarkably, the paper shows that democracy displays a quadratic relationship with internet usage. As a whole, the findings indicate a U-shaped pattern: democracy decreases with internet usage, stabilizes, and then increases. In other words, internet usage increases with the decrease of democracy, but after a certain level of internet usage which is the turning point, democracy starts to increase.Social implicationsMany African Governments that have frequently imposed restrictions on internet and social media need to stop. The decline in democracy as internet usage increases may be explained by more severity of these restrictions. However, the findings support that at the macro level, Africa is moving toward a new stage, where internet will lead to improved levels of democracy and digital politics.Originality/valueContrary to previous conceptual papers, the current study empirically investigates the causality between internet and democracy in 38 African countries. The findings indicate a U-shaped pattern: democracy decreases with internet usage, stabilizes, and then increases. In other words, internet usage increases with the decrease of democracy but after a certain level of internet usage which is the turning point, democracy starts to increase.

An increasing number of people are becoming addicted to the internet as a result of overuse. The Internet Addiction Test (IAT) is a popular tool for evaluating internet use behaviors. The interaction between different symptoms and the relationship between IAT and clinical diagnostic criteria are not well understood. This study aimed to explore the core symptoms of internet addiction (IA) and the correlation between different symptoms of the IA symptom network. Network analysis was also conducted to explore the association between the IAT scale and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5th edition (DSM-5) criteria for IA. We recruited 4480 internet users (aged 14-24 years), and they completed the IAT. The final analysis included 63.50% (2845/4480) of the participants after screening the submitted questionnaires. Participants were classified into IA group and non-IA (NIA) group. By using partial correlation with Lasso regularization networks, we identified the core symptoms of IA in each group and compared the group differences in network properties (strength, closeness, and betweenness). Then, we analyzed the symptom networks of the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria and IAT scale for IA. A total of 12.47% (355/2845) of the patients were in the IA group and 87.52% (2490/2845) of the patients were in the NIA group, and both groups were evaluated for the following nodes: IAT_06 (school work suffers; strength=0.511), IAT_08 (job performance suffers; strength=0.531), IAT_15 (fantasize about being on the web; strength=0.474), IAT_17 (fail to stop being on the web; strength=0.526), and IAT_12 (fear about boredom if offline; strength=0.502). The IA groups had a stronger edge between IAT_09 (defensive or secretive about being on the web) and IAT_18 (hidden web time) than the NIA groups. The items in DSM-5 had a strong association with IAT_12 (weight=-0.066), IAT_15 (weight=-0.081), IAT_17 (weight=-0.106), IAT_09 (weight=-0.198), and IAT_18 (weight=-0.052). The internet use symptom network of the IA group is significantly different from that of the NIA group. Nodes IAT_06 (school work affected) and IAT_08 (work performance affected) are the resulting symptoms affected by other symptoms, whereas nodes IAT_12 (fear about boredom if offline), IAT_17 (inability to stop being on the web), and IAT_15 (fantasize about being on the web) are key symptoms that activate other symptoms of IA and are strongly linked to the inability to control the intention to play games in the DSM-5.

<scp>M</scp>utual benefit for foreign medical students and Chinese postgraduates: A mixed team‐based learning method overcomes communication problems in hematology clerkship

BackgroundSchool teachers have a possibility toward at-risk Internet addiction (IA) due to increased opportunities to use the Internet, along with the spread of the Internet in recent years. Burnout syndrome (BOS) is found to be one of the symptoms related to unhealthy mental health, especially among teachers. This study aims to research the relationship between at-risk IA and the Internet usage or BOS by conducting a nationwide cross-sectional survey and examining the factors associated with IA.MethodThis study was a cross-sectional survey by anonymous questionnaire. This survey was a random sampling survey of junior high schools across Japan in 2016. The participants were 1696 teachers at 73 schools (response rate in teachers 51.0%). We asked participants for details of their backgrounds, Internet usage, the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) by Young, and the Japanese Burnout Scale (JBS). We divided the participants into either the at-risk IA group (IAT score ≧ 40, n = 96) or the non-IA group (IAT score < 40, n = 1600). To compare the difference between at-risk IA and non-IA, we used nonparametric tests and t test according to variables. To analyze the relationship between the IAT score and the scores of three factors of the JBS (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment), we used both ANOVA and ANCOVA, adjusted by relevant confounding factors. To clarify the contribution of each independent variable to IAT scores, we used multiple logistic regression analysis.ResultsIn our study, at-risk IA was associated with using the internet many hours privately, being on the Internet both on weekdays and weekends, playing games, and surfing the Internet. In the relationship between IAT score and BOS factor score, a higher score for “depersonalization” had a positive relationship with at-risk IA, and the highest quartile for “decline of personal accomplishment” had a lower odds ratio with at-risk IA by multiple logistic regression analysis.ConclusionWe clarified there is a significant relationship between at-risk IA and BOS among junior high school teachers in a nationwide survey. Our results suggest that finding depersonalization at the early stage may lead to the prevention of at-risk IA among teachers. Those who are at-risk of IA may feel personal accomplishment through use of the Internet.

IntroductionIt is a well-known fact that regular physical activity (PA) has a positive effect on a person’s somatic health. Does PA have similar correlations with self-esteem in medical students of different cultural backgrounds?ObjectivesTo determine the intensity and correlations of PА and self-esteem in domestic and foreign undergraduate medical studentsMethodsWe carried out a survey of 305 domestic and 241 international medical students of both genders at Ulianov Chuvash State University. For this aim we used the Sociocultural Health Questionnaire (E. Nikolaev)Results We have established that with the same duration of the sessions the average frequency of physical activity (PA) of foreign medical students is higher than that of domestic students (p=.001). The latter more often exercise in gyms (p=.001) and consume bodybuilding supplements (p=.01). Foreign medical students’ self-assessment of their health (p=.001) and sportiness (p=.001) is higher than that of domestic students (7.90 vs 6.98 и 6.72 vs 5.82 correspondingly). Higher frequency of PA correlates in domestic medical students with higher self-assessment of their successfulness (r=.47), attractiveness (r=.46), and confidence (r=.43); while in foreign students – of their sportiness (r=.49), confidence (r=.25), sociability (r=.23). Longer sessions of PA by domestic medical students are interrelated with higher self-assessment of their intellect (r=.35), confidence (r=.34), happiness (r=.34); while in foreign students – of sportiness (r=.47), health (r=.36), and successfulness (r=.36).ConclusionsThe revealed data testify to the fact that PA of both domestic and foreign medical students closely correlates with positive assessment of their own personality.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

The Internet is a potential information resource for agricultural extension. This study aimed to analyze agricultural extension workers' perceptions, usage, and satisfaction with the Internet and the effects of the perceptions on the level of usage and satisfaction with the Internet. The research was conducted in September-October 2022 at the Islands Region of South Nias Regency, the largest archipelago on Sumatra, and included as an underdeveloped territory in Indonesia. The research uses census techniques by interviewing all agricultural extension workers at South Nias. To describe the behavior of the Internet, use cross-tabulation and Spearman correlation. Path analysis using smart-PLS 4.0 is applied to know the direct and indirect effects of perceptions on the level of usage, and satisfaction of Internet, based on the Theory of Acceptance Model. Results of the research show that agricultural extension workers in South Nias use the Internet 4-6 hours/day with 7-8 sources, dominantly on cultivation techniques information and fertilizer prices. Generally, internal characteristics did not relate to the perception and satisfaction of using the Internet by agricultural extension. The path analysis showed that perception significantly influences the use and satisfaction of the Internet. The level of internet usage does not influence internet usage satisfaction, and it concludes that internet usage is not a mediating variable to affect the satisfaction of using the Internet in the model.

Studies in recent years have shown a significant increase in problematic internet use. Prolonged internet usage negatively impacts various aspects of adolescents' lifestyles. The survey was conducted in three Lithuanian cities-Vilnius, Klaipėda, and Molėtai-between October and December of 2023. The survey involved students between the ages of 12 and 16. The participants completed a questionnaire that included questions about wellness and happiness, the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Our study aimed to investigate problematic internet use among Lithuanian adolescents and its relationships with wellness, happiness, and mental health. This study included 1412 adolescents, with a mean age of 14.41 ± 1.20, with the sample composed of 52.3% boys. Boys indicated that they felt healthier and happier than girls (69.4% vs. 47.4%; 51.4% vs. 29.6%), p < 0.001. A total of 20.8% of students had IAT scores that reflect a normal level of internet usage. For IAT, the average score of girls was statistically significantly higher than that of boys (41.87 ± 12.24 vs. 39.96 ± 12.37), p < 0.001. The IAT score was higher in the group of students who felt less happy and healthy, had more frequent headaches or abdominal pain, and had problems with sleep, p < 0.001. A statistically significant, positive weak correlation was found between students' IAT scores and SDQ internalizing and SDQ externalizing scores (r = 0.366; r = 0.385, p < 0.001). Prolonged internet use is arising as a serious problem among adolescents. Negative feelings, unhappiness, and poor emotion regulation have an association with internet addiction. Also, the female gender may be more associated with possible internet addiction. The results of this study can serve as initial steps toward developing preventive interventions.

BACKGROUND: The internet has become an integral part of our lives, especially for adolescents who use it extensively for various purposes such as socializing, entertainment, and education. However, excessive and unmonitored internet use can negatively affect adolescents' health. Sleep is a vital component of health, but nowadays, adolescents and youth often neglect sleep due to social media and binge-watching. Excessive exposure to expansive internet content can contribute to negative impacts and may lead to poor mental health. OBJECTIVES: To study the level of internet usage among young adults.To assess their mental health status and sleep quality. To find the relationship between internet usage, general mental health, and sleep quality.MATERIALS AND METHODS:This multicentric study was conducted on medical and paramedical students from three universities in three states. After obtaining scientific and ethical committee clearance, self-administered pre-tested and pre-validated questionnaires (Internet Addiction Test, General Mental Health-5, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality questionnaire) were used. RESULTS:2.55% of males and 1.19% of females have severe internet addiction, while 24.45% of males have normal internet usage and 35.41% females have normal internet usage. Only 6.88% of students reported having good-quality sleep, 66.55% reported poor-quality sleep, and 26.55% reported moderate-quality sleep. There was significant correlation between internet addiction, mental health, and sleep quality. CONCLUSION: This inter-institutional study provides valuable insights into the prevalence of internet addiction among students and its impact on mental health and sleep quality. Promoting a healthy balance between online and offline activities is imperative, thereby safeguarding future healthcare professionals' well-being.

Following the call to ensure the validity of instruments used to assess users’ level of Internet usage, this study examined the factor structure of the Internet Addiction Test–Adolescence version (IAT-A) when applied to a sample of young children in a multicultural society and assessed whether the items in the IAT-A were invariant by gender and, if the factor mean scores were significantly different by gender. IAT-A is a revised version from the original IAT, with very minor changes in item wordings for the use of adolescence and older children population. A total of 325 primary and secondary students (140 males and 185 females) participated in this study. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses generated three factors (Loss of Control, Dereliction of Duty, and Excessive Use), all of which were subsumed under a second-order factor of overall Internet addiction. The results also revealed that the factor loadings of IAT-A were invariant by gender and although males had higher factor mean scores than females, these were very small. Future studies to enhance the usability of the IAT and IAT-A are discussed.

In the article the main scientific thoughts concerning the problems of forming multicultural competence of the foreign medical students in the process of learning humanitarian disciplines were systematized. The relevance of the article is attributable to the presence of contradictions between the necessities of forming multicultural competence among foreigners who study on the medical educational institutions of Ukraine, and absence of systematized scientific and methodological basis concerning the issue of forming multicultural competency among foreign medical students, since during recent decades in the whole amount of scientific and pedagogical works a small quantity of researches dedicated to the mentioned problem, as well as the whole problem of education of foreign citizens in Ukraine, had been performed; and at the same time there is a great increase in the number of foreign students studying in Ukrainian institutions of higher medical education. The aim of the article is to perform an analytical review of the field of research and studies concerning the problems of forming multicultural competency among foreign medical students in the process of learning humanitarian disciplines. In the paper the fields of research and studies concerning the problems of forming multicultural competence in the process of learning humanitarian disciplines, the problems of forming multicultural competence among the students of establishments of higher education of different grades and accreditation levels, the problems of forming multicultural competence among foreign students, especially among the students of Ukrainian institutions of higher medical education were analyzed. Attention was paid to the researches of aspects of forming multicultural competence in educational institutions of different forms and levels of accreditation, forming multicultural competence in professional education of different specializations, forming multicultural competence and/or its components among foreign students, especially foreign medical students. Key words: multicultural competence, foreign medical students, humanitarian disciplines.

The rapid growth of internet usage among adolescents has raised concerns about its psychological and academic impacts. Internet addiction, characterized by excessive and uncontrolled online behavior, is increasingly linked to mental health issues such as anxiety, which may also influence academic performance. Despite growing attention globally, limited research has focused on this issue among high school EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners in Iran. This study investigates the relationships between internet addiction, anxiety, and academic achievement among Iranian male senior high school EFL students. A sample of 70 students was randomly selected from two public high schools. Data were collected using the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS, 1971), the Internet Addiction Test (IAT, Young, 1996), and a standardized academic achievement test administered by Iran’s Ministry of Education. Results revealed a significant positive correlation between internet addiction and anxiety, suggesting that higher internet use is associated with elevated anxiety levels. Additionally, both internet addiction and anxiety were negatively correlated with students’ academic achievement scores. These findings underscore the importance of monitoring students’ internet usage and addressing their mental health needs. The study contributes to the existing literature by examining this triadic relationship in a less-explored educational and cultural context.

Objective : Based on the survey of the knowledge-attitude-belief and practice to tobacco control between Chinese and foreign medical students in Soochow University, the authors intended to explore the current situation, differences and influencing factors of Chinese and foreign medical students, in order to provide a reference for tobacco control policies and measures set by the Medical College of Soochow University. Methods : By stratified sampling, we selected 200 Chinese medical students and 200 foreign medical students of Medical College in different grades and different majors, and adopted anonymous questionnaires to investigate. Results : The smoking rates of Chinese and foreign male medical students were 7.4%, 15.5% respectively , while female medical students' smoking rates were 0.0, 8.1% respectively. Foreign medical students’ daily smoking was mostly 4~10, which was significantly greater than the Chinese medical students （ P &lt;0.05）; besides, the identification degree to the responsibilities and duties for smoking control of the professional medical staff were both higher. The influence of the different smoking rates between Chinese and foreign medical students was mainly ethnic background, and the influences of the different smoking behavior mainly depended on their knowledge and attitude towards tobacco control. Conclusion : There is a need for schools to adopt health education measure to promote the school tobacco control based on the differences of the knowledge-attitude-belief and practice to tobacco control between Chinese and Foreign Medical students. Help medical students to translate knowledge of tobacco control they have already mastered into belief, and further affect their behavior.

INTERNET ADDICTION OR PSYCHOPATHOLOGY IN DISGUISE? RESULTS FROM A SURVEY OF COLLEGE-AGED INTERNET USERS

PROBLEMATIC INTERNET USE AMONG ADULT JAPANESE PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS