Internet addiction test in foreign students from Romania

Abstract

The problematic internet usage in academic youth is increassingly relevant for overall health and functioning, yet little studied and poorly defined to this date. Aim . To investigate the associations between the level of internet usage and self-reported well-being, and also the association between the level of internet usage and demographic parameters (age, gender, faculty, year of study, relationship status, country of permanent residence) in foreign medical students. Materials and method. In May 2019, 110 foreign students from the French and English section of medicine and dentistry faculties, from the “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, signed the consent and filled in a self-reported questionnaire including demographic data, Internet Addiction Test, World Health Organization well-being questionnaire (WHO-5). Results . The higher levels of internet usage in medical university foreign students were associated with lower levels of self-reported well-being. The level of internet usage was significantly lower in students from EU and associated countries than in those from non-EU countries. The second year students reported the highest levels of internet usage, while those in years 4 and 5 reported the lowest levels. Men reported higher levels of internet usage than women. Discussion and conclusions. Further assessments, such as the type of internet activities of male and female students, cutoffs for problematic internet usage, cultural issues, perceived stress and coping mechanisms in relationship with internet usage level, can give us a better understanding of internet usage and of its health impact in academic youth.