Prevalence of Internet gaming disorder among engineering students aged 18–25 years: A cross-sectional study from Ernakulam district

Abstract

Introduction: The number of mobile game users has increased globally over the last few years. Gaming has been reported as a new way of satisfying basic human needs within the constraints of the current modern society. This research aimed to determine the prevalence of Internet gaming disorder (IGD) among engineering students aged 18–25 years in the Ernakulam district of Kerala and the associated risk factors. Materials and Methods: This was an online-based cross-sectional study among engineering colleges in Ernakulam district of Kerala selected by simple random sampling. Students with psychiatric ailments were excluded from the study. On the basis of the prevalence of IGD, reported by Mihara and Higuchi in 2017, the minimum calculated sample size for this study using the formula, n = (4*pq)/d2 was 291. The study tool was a semi-structured questionnaire with three segments: socio-demographic profile, IGD, and Internet gaming behavior pattern. As data were collected using Google Forms, data were downloaded from Google Sheet and exported to and analyzed using SPSS software program, version 20.0. Results: The study had 271 participants and most of them were males. The mean age group of the study population was 22.77 years. The prevalence of IGD was found to be 2.2%. In the associated risk factors, people living alone were found to have a significant association with IGD. Conclusion: Although the prevalence observed in our research is low, more attention needs to be given to keeping the prevalence low, as the number of gamers in India has been constantly increasing.