Prevalence and Consequences of Internet Addiction in a Cohort of Tunisian Adolescents: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Introduction: There are few studies interested in internet addiction in Tunisia, despite the worldwide concern with this problem. The aim of the study is to measure the prevalence of internet addiction among secondary school students in the city of Monastir, Tunisia, and to portray its impact. Methodology: It is a transversal epidemiological study carried on a sample of students attending secondary school in the city of Monastir, Tunisia. It was conducted in the course of the 2010/2011 school year. The participants had filled the Internet Addiction Test of Young and a data file regarding the socio-demographic information, physical and psychological history and information about the internet access and use. The Internet Addiction Test consists of 20 items, rated according to Likert scale. The total score ranges from 20 to 100. It is considered as internet addicts those whose the scores are equal and higher than 70. Results: The sample consisted of 415 males (M) and 567 females (F) with a mean age of 17.10 ± 0.92 years. The prevalence of internet addiction was 11.6% (IC 95%: [9.60-13.61]); M: 12.8% (IC 95%: [9.55-15.99]), F: 10.8% (IC 95%/ [8.20-13.31]). The consequences of cyberaddiction reported by this study were: sleep disorders, neglecting household chores, academic difficulties, social isolation and mood and behavior disturbances (violence, irritability). Conclusion: The prevalence of internet addiction is elevated in Tunisia. Many negative consequences are identified. Urgent measures should be taken to counter the problem.