The Relationship between Internet Usage, Alcohol Consumption and Drug Abuse among Malaysian University Students based on respondent’s demographics: a Quantitative Analysis

Abstract

ABSTRACT Malaysia is ranked as the 10th largest consumer of alcohol concerning its population size. Furthermore, Malaysia's position is 71st in per capita cigarette consumption, indicating an average of 646 cigarettes smoked by each adult annually. The primary aims of this research endeavor encompass comprehending the connections between Internet usage motives, attitudes towards the Internet, drug abuse, and alcohol intake with considerations based on gender, income, religious beliefs, and educational level. Employing a quantitative approach, the current investigation utilizes a questionnaire survey to fulfill its objectives, with a sample size of 440 respondents from University Putra Malaysia. The selection of students was carried out through stratified random sampling. The correlation between Internet usage purpose and attitudes, concerning alcohol consumption, did not yield statistically significant results. Conversely, a noteworthy correlation was found between purpose and attitudes towards Internet usage and drug abuse. The mediating role of attitudes towards the Internet between independent and dependent variables was substantiated. The model indicated that gender, income, and religion have moderator effects, while educational level did not exhibit such influence. Keywords: Internet Usage, Alcohol Drinking, Drug Abuse, Malaysian University Students