Excessive Internet Research Articles

Is it Contagious? Does Parents’ Internet Addiction Impact Their Adolescents’ Internet Addiction?

Extensive research has shown various family factors such as low family cohesion, and limited parental supervision to be associated with adolescent Internet addiction (IA). There has been little discussion about the relationship between parental IA and adolescent IA. The purpose of this study was to determine whether parental IA and parental monitoring of digital technology use interpret IA in their adolescents. The current study was carried out with 168 parents of adolescents, predominantly female parents. They reported demographics and how often they monitored their adolescent’s Internet usage and responded to the Internet Addiction Diagnostic Questionnaire (IADQ) and Parental Version of Young Diagnostic Questionnaire (PYDQ). The two scales, IADQ and PYDQ, comprise of eight binary questions, each representing a symptom of IA. Multiple regression and Chi-square were used for statistical analysis. The multiple regression model showed that parents’ gender, employment status, frequency of monitoring of time spent on the Internet, and activities performed on the Internet by adolescents were not significant predictors of PYDQ. Parents’ IADQ scores and the frequency of serious arguments with their adolescents about excessive Internet use were positive and significant predictors of PYDQ. Adolescents were more likely to be dependent Internet users when their parents were also dependent Internet users. Seven of the eight IA symptoms in parents were associated with the related symptoms in adolescents. These results suggest that family counseling programs shall not only focus on dealing with adolescents but help parents demonstrate constructive and balanced digital habits and become positive role models themselves. Serious arguments on excessive Internet use predicted IA in adolescents. In light of our results, it may be beneficial for parents to play a role model in technology use and have more productive discussions with their adolescents about it. The results also signify the need for better knowledge and literacy in communicating with adolescents about excessive Internet use.

TIP FAKÜLTESİ ÖĞRENCİLERİNDE İNTERNET BAĞIMLILIĞI, PROBLEMLİ SOSYAL MEDYA KULLANIMI, ANKSİYETE, DEPRESYON VE SOSYODEMOGRAFİK DEĞİŞKENLER ARASINDAKİ İLİŞKİ

AMAÇ: İnternet kullanımı hayatı birçok alanda kolaylaştırırken, aşırı ve sık kullanımı ile ilişkili olumsuz sonuçları da artmaktadır. Bununla birlikte, internette geçirilen zamanların büyük kısmını oluşturan sosyal medyayı sık ve kontrolsüz kullanmanın olumsuz psikososyal sonuçları üzerine yapılan araştırmalar da dikkat çekmektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, kesitsel olarak değerlendirilen üniversite öğrencilerinde İnternet Bağımlılığı (İB), Problemli Sosyal Medya Kullanımı (PSMK), depresyon, anksiyete ve sosyodemografik özellikler arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemektir.GEREÇ VE YÖNTEM: Araştırmamıza Sosyal Medya Bozukluğu Ölçeği (SMBÖ), İnternet Bağımlılığı Testi (İBT) ve Hastane Anksiyete ve Depresyon Ölçeği'ni (HAD) dolduran 196 Tıp Fakültesi öğrencisi [122’si (% 62.2) kadın, yaş ortalaması 21.33 ± 1.92 yıl] katıldı.BULGULAR: Sonuçlar, katılımcıların %26.5’inde orta düzeyde İB bulunduğunu, PSMK puanlarının (RO: 1.276, %95 GA: 1.187-1.372) ve düzenli sportif aktivite eksiliğinin (RO: 3.003, %95 GA: 1.107-8.144) İB için risk oluşturduğunu gösterdi. Çoklu doğrusal regresyon analizi ise İB’nın, PSMK puanları (%49 varyans) ve anksiyete (%6 varyans) tarafından bağımsız şekilde yordandığını gösterdi.SONUÇ: Araştırmamızın sonuçları genç yetişkinlerde aşırı sosyal medya kullanımının ve anksiyetenin İB ile anlamlı ilişkili olduğunu göstermiştir. Düzenli spor alışkanlığının bedensel sağlığa olan katkısının yanında anksiyete ve bağımlılık gibi önemli psikiyatrik sorunlarla olan ilişkisinin daha iyi aydınlatılması, bağımlılık önleme programlarına katkı sağlayabilir.

Self-control impacts symptoms defining Internet gaming disorder through dorsal anterior cingulate-ventral striatal pathway.

Self-control is important for long-term success and could be a protective factor against maladaptive behaviours such as excessive gaming activity or Internet gaming disorder (IGD). However, the neurobiological basis of self-control and its relationship to IGD remain elusive. Using resting-state fMRI data from 89 participants aged from 18 to 26, we found that self-control and the number of IGD symptoms (IGD-S) were positively and negatively correlated with functional connectivity between right ventral striatum (rVS) and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), respectively. A mediation analysis indicated that self-control influenced IGD-S partially through the rVS-dACC connectivity. In addition, step-wise regression analyses revealed that the rVS connectivity in a reward-anticipation limbic pathway contributed to IGD-S but not self-control, independent of the dACC pathway. These results suggest that the cingulate-ventral striatal functional connectivity may serve as an important neurobiological underpinning of self-control to regulate maladaptive behaviours such as these manifesting IGD through striatal circuitry balance.

Family Context, Identity and Internet Use: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Group of Italian Adolescents During COVID-19 Pandemic

Literature has demonstrated the adaptive function of identity development and family context toward manifestation of problem behaviors in adolescence.
 The present research investigates: a) the influence of dysfunctional family dynamics on the Internet use; b) the impact that psychological and physical sensations - following excessive Internet use - can have on the quality of family relationships.
 The research involved 150 Italian students (65 males and 85 females) aged between 14 and 20 years (M =15.99, S.D = 1.94). The research lasted for 1 school year.
 Participants completed: an anamnestic questionnaire; the Family Assessment Device (FAD) in order to value the family functioning; and a self-report constructed ad hoc questionnaire, named “Adolescents and Digital Technologies” to measure frequency of use of social networks and Internet, the motivation for the use of social networks, the physical and psychological sensation perceived following their use.
 Data show the influence of gender and age on the general use of Internet; the influence of gender on psychological and physical sensations experienced by adolescent participants while using the Internet; and the predictive role of the family emotional involvement on Internet use.
 Family is a context for learning models and values that affect the wider social and regulatory context, and for this reason it is considered the privileged context in which to intervene to reduce behavioral problems of adolescents.

Investigation of University Students' Internet Addiction Levels and Social Media Use Characteristics: A Descriptive Study

Excessive Internet use can lead to addiction and cyber bullying behaviors based on technology especially among the young. The aim of this study was to examine the Internet addiction levels and characteristics of social media use of peers following peer education regarding Internet addiction and cyber bullying awareness conducted among university students. This study is the second stage of the İzmir Universities Platform Administration Era of Dokuz Eylül University Social Responsibility Project: Digital Citizenship: Do Not Be Addicted and Bully, Use the Internet Consciously and Safely. The study examines the Internet use characteristics and Internet addiction levels of young people through interviews with university students who attended the peer awareness education with their peers. The study sample consisted of 1644 students, of which 188 students were entitled to receive a certificate following completion of peer education, selected by random sampling. The data were acquired through a Peer Interview Form, Internet Addiction and Cyber Bullying Peer Satisfaction Survey, and Internet Addiction Scale. The research findings revealed that Internet addiction was higher in male students than in female students, and the students who used the Internet more than 4 hours a day had high levels of loss of control, desire to stay online, and social relationship breakdowns. The students used the Internet mostly for social interaction/communication, listening to music, and watching movies rather than education and academic purposes. This study demonstrated that peer education can be used as an effective method in awareness studies regarding Internet use.

Digital Addiction and Sleep.

In 2020, the World Health Organization formally recognized addiction to digital technology (connected devices) as a worldwide problem, where excessive online activity and internet use lead to inability to manage time, energy, and attention during daytime and produce disturbed sleep patterns or insomnia during nighttime. Recent studies have shown that the problem has increased in magnitude worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. The extent to which dysfunctional sleep is a consequence of altered motivation, memory function, mood, diet, and other lifestyle variables or results from excess of blue-light exposure when looking at digital device screens for long hours at day and night is one of many still unresolved questions. This article offers a narrative overview of some of the most recent literature on this topic. The analysis provided offers a conceptual basis for understanding digital addiction as one of the major reasons why people, and adolescents in particular, sleep less and less well in the digital age. It discusses definitions as well as mechanistic model accounts in context. Digital addiction is identified as functionally equivalent to all addictions, characterized by the compulsive, habitual, and uncontrolled use of digital devices and an excessively repeated engagement in a particular online behavior. Once the urge to be online has become uncontrollable, it is always accompanied by severe sleep loss, emotional distress, depression, and memory dysfunction. In extreme cases, it may lead to suicide. The syndrome has been linked to the known chronic effects of all drugs, producing disturbances in cellular and molecular mechanisms of the GABAergic and glutamatergic neurotransmitter systems. Dopamine and serotonin synaptic plasticity, essential for impulse control, memory, and sleep function, are measurably altered. The full spectrum of behavioral symptoms in digital addicts include eating disorders and withdrawal from outdoor and social life. Evidence pointing towards dysfunctional melatonin and vitamin D metabolism in digital addicts should be taken into account for carving out perspectives for treatment. The conclusions offer a holistic account for digital addiction, where sleep deficit is one of the key factors.

Internet Addiction and Associated Factors among Undergraduates.

With the surge of internet-based smart gadgets worldwide in 21st century the problem of internet addiction is emerging as a major behavioural addiction pandemic of the contemporary era.Excessive Internet use has become significant mental health concerns especially among students. Internet use has many advantages if used in right fashion, it has an enormous amount of negative consequences as well such as depression, attention deficit and so forth. Descriptive cross-sectional study was done among 356 undergraduate students of Bharatpur Metropolitan City of Nepal. Multistaged random sampling was applied to select undergraduate students and semi structured self-administered questionnaire along with structured standard Young's tool for Internet Addiction Test was used for collecting information during June 2019 to August 2019. Alarmingly High proportions of participants (73%) were found addicted to Internet, where, 48%, 20.5% and4.5% had mild, moderate and severe Internet addiction respectively. Higher prevalence of Internet addiction was observed among those whose father's occupation was 'foreign employment' as compared to agriculture. (AOR?=?2.34, 95% CI 1.02-5.33,p?=?0.04), Failed in the recent exam as compared to Pass in the recent exam. (AOR = 2.81 CI 1.40 - 3.561, and among non-science stream as compared to science stream (AOR?=?3.10, 95%CI 1.81-5.32), p=<0.001) Conclusions: The finding suggests that prevalence of Internet addiction was tremendously high among undergraduate students. There is critical need of awareness programmes targeted to the students as well as parents regarding the negative impacts of unwise Internet use.

RISK OF INTERNET ADDICTION AMONG ADOLESCENTS WITH ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD) DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Background: In lieu of COVID-19, adolescents are forced to carry out their schoolwork, social and leisure activities online. Excessive internet use can have a negative impact on psychological, social, physical, spiritual, and financial well-beings. Such phenomenon is called internet addiction, and its highest prevalence is observed among adolescents with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). They have difficulty focusing on less attractive routines, thus they tend to have impaired daily functioning. So, internet addiction co-occuring with ADHD among adolescents warrants serious clinical attention. Purpose: This literature aims to study the risk factors and management of comorbidity of internet addiction with ADHD in adolescents. Methods: A literature review of studies investigating Internet Addiction Risk in Adolescent with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Non-English articles were set as the exclusion criteria. Search criteria in this rewiew includes ‘internet addiction’, ‘ADHD’, ‘comorbidity’, and ‘adolescent’. Results: Adolescents with ADHD are at a heightened risk of developing internet addiction. Impulsivity, executive dysfunction, motivational dysfunction, social skill deficits and subpar attachment bonds were the primary reasons for the increased risk. Conclusion: Attempts to increase awareness on the internet addiction susceptibility among adolescents with ADHD, particularly in this COVID-19 pandemic.

Longitudinal Investigations of Autoregressive Cross-Lagged Path Models Among Internet Use, Executive Function Problems, and Maternal Control in Young Korean Children.

Excessive Internet use is related to behavioral and cognitive dysfunctions, but little is known about the relationship between them in young elementary school children. This study examined the longitudinal relationship between children's Internet use for entertainment purposes, executive function problems, and maternal control. Differences by children's Internet addiction status in their associations were also examined. Data from Wave 9 (2016) to Wave 11 (2018) of 1,463 children and mothers who participated in the Panel Study on Korean Children (PSKC) were used. The children's ages were 8 (grade 2), 9 (grade 3), and 10 years (grade 4) at Waves 9, 10, and 11, respectively. Associations between the variables were analyzed using autoregressive cross-lagged model estimations and multi-group analysis. The results showed the longitudinal stability of each of children's Internet use, executive function problems, and maternal control over the 3 years. Mutual associations between maternal control and children's Internet use were found especially in the low-risk group. In addition, children's executive function problems positively predicted Internet use, and negative associations from executive function problems to maternal control were significant over the years. However, some of these associations were significant only in the high-risk group. Discussions have focused on the protective role of maternal control and cognitive intervention, which could reduce children's excessive Internet use.

The impact of interpersonal alienation on excessive Internet fiction reading: Analysis of parasocial relationship as a mediator and relational-interdependent self-construal as a moderator

The impact of interpersonal alienation on excessive Internet fiction reading: Analysis of parasocial relationship as a mediator and relational-interdependent self-construal as a moderator

Psychometric Validation of the Internet Gaming Disorder-20 Test among Ecuadorian Teenagers and Young People.

Excessive internet gaming in high prevalence is a very common problem that has been increasing in recent years, especially in teenagers and university students. However, there is a lack of psychometric evaluation for Internet Gaming Disorder in the Latin American context, particularly in Ecuador. This paper aims to examine the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Internet Gaming Disorder test (IGD-20 test) in university and high school students ( 57.22% male and 42.51% female). The validation process was performed using one, two, five and six factors taking into account the Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Arabic and Turkish contexts. After checking the models proposed to date, the best fit model was the one with a single factor. Using two samples according to gender (male, female), the invariance has been confirmed with an excellent internal consistency. All, ; Male, ; Female, ). Furthermore, we performed correlation analyses between the IGD-20 Test and socio-demographic variables, and finally, the IGD-20 Test applied to Ecuadorian teenagers and young people demonstrated good psychometric properties.

Experiences of Web Searches for Medical Information Purposes on Health Anxiety in the general population reporting to tertiary care hospitals of Rawalpindi

Objective: To assess the prevalence of internet use for medical purposes by the general public and to correlate it with anxiety levels.&#x0D; Materials and methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in tertiary care hospitals of Rawalpindi from August to December 2020. Ethical approval was taken. A sample size of 385 was calculated through Rao software. Non-probability convenient sampling technique was used. Informed consent was taken. A validated questionnaire was used. The data was analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 25. Frequencies and percentages were calculated. Chi-square test of significance was applied. P-value less than .05 was considered as statistically significant.&#x0D; Results: A majority of the participants used the internet to obtain health-related information. Majority of the subjects stated that the health-related searches exacerbated their anxiety. The negative effects of excessive or inappropriate internet use are stronger in women than in men. Participants from lower income groups were more prone to anxiety, however participants from higher income groups were slightly more likely to visit a doctor for a perceived health condition. The internet was helpful in understanding the terminology used by doctors for majority of the participants.&#x0D; Conclusion: The study found that most people who use the internet also use it for health related searches. There is a positive correlation between excessive health-related internet use and health anxiety. This correlation is stronger in women. Looking up medical terminology on the internet makes it easier for patients to communicate with doctors and understand their condition.&#x0D; Keywords: Anxiety, web searches, internet, cyberchondria

INTERNET ADDICTION AND EMOTIONAL BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS AMONG ADOLESCENTS

The present study aimed to find the relationship between internet addiction and emotional-behavioral problems among adolescents through a cross-sectional survey research design. A sample of 1000 students from Gujrat and Lalamusa, Pakistan, were chosen using a multistage stratified sampling technique. Data were gathered by using the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and the Emotional and Behavioral Problem Scale (EBPS). The findings disclosed that there is a significant correlation between internet addiction and emotional-behavioral problems among adolescents (r=.81, p=.01). Results show boys were more addicted to the internet than girls, hence the former experience more emotional-behavioral problems than the later ones. Moreover, adolescents studying in private institutes and using the internet for entertainment purposes were also more addicted to the internet and had higher levels of emotional-behavioral problems than the others. The results exhibited that internet addiction significantly predicted emotional-behavioral problems among adolescents [R 2 =.68; F (1, 998) = 2150.22, p=.01]. The outcome of the study highlighted the negative effects of excessive internet usage and concluded that internet addiction can trigger emotional and behavioral problems among adolescents. Hence, unhealthy use of the internet interferes with the healthy emotional and behavioral functioning of adolescents. Keywords: Internet Addiction; emotional-behavioral problems; adolescents; gender; social media

Profiles of Stress and Coping Associated With Mental, Behavioral, and Internet Use Problems Among Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Stratified Random Sampling and Cluster Analysis.

BackgroundAdolescents are vulnerable to behavioral and mental health problems, which might be further exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explored how participants with different profiles of stressful life events, coping resources (i.e., self-esteem and perceived social support) and coping strategies (i.e., maladaptive and adaptive coping) varied in the prevalence of mental, behavioral, and Internet use problems.MethodsData were collected from a large and representative sample of Chinese secondary school students in Hong Kong (n = 3,136) from September to November 2020 (48.1% males; mean age = 13.6 years old). Cluster analysis and logistic regression models were used for analysis.ResultsThe prevalence of suicidal ideation and sleep disturbance was 29.8 and 55.4%, respectively. Behavioral problems were most frequently reported in excessive social media use (53.5%), followed by excessive Internet gaming (43.6%), obesity (34.1%), damaging properties (14.6%), and alcohol or substance abuse (5.1%). The results of cluster analysis yielded three distinctive stress and coping profiles: severe profile (High Risk/Low Protective; 17.0%), moderate profile (Moderate Risk/Moderate Protective; 35.8%), and mild profile (Low Risk/High Protective; 47.2%). Participants with severe and moderate profiles displayed significantly higher levels of mental (range for AOR: 2.08–15.06; all p < 0.001) and behavioral health problems (range for AOR: 1.22–11.22; all p < 0.05) compared to the mild profile cluster.ConclusionsAdolescents' mental and behavioral health may be shaped by a combination of stressful life events and variations in coping resources as well as strategies. Transdiagnostic and multimodal interventions on these factors are warranted to reduce mental, behavioral, and Internet use problems among adolescents.

Brain morphology, harm avoidance, and the severity of excessive internet use.

As the previous studies have mainly focused on the reward system and the corresponding brain regions, the relationship between brain morphology and excessive internet use (EIU) were not clear; the purpose of the study was to investigate if the brain regions other than the reward system were associated with EIU. Data were acquired from 131 excessive internet users. Psychological measures included internet use, life quality, personality, mental illness symptoms, impulsivity, and thought suppression. The brain was scanned with 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and six types of brain morphological indexes were calculated. Lasso regression methods were used to select the predictors. Stepwise linear regression methods were used to build the models and verify the model. The variables remaining in the model were left precentral (curve), left superior temporal (surface area), right cuneus (folding index), right rostral anterior cingulate (folding index), and harm avoidance. The independent variable was the EIU score of the worst week in the past year. The study found that the brain morphological indexes other than the reward system, including the left precentral (curve), the left superior temporal (surface area), the right cuneus (folding index), and the right rostral anterior cingulate (folding index), can predict the severity of EIU, suggesting an extensive change in the brain. In this study, a whole‐brain data analysis was conducted and it was concluded that the changes in certain brain regions were more predictive than the reward system and psychological measures or more important for EIU.

PENGARUH INTERNET DALAM PELAKSANAAN E-PEMBELAJARAN KE ATAS PEMBINAAN SAHSIAH MURID

Online learning or e-learning is one of the teaching and learning methods that use internet to access learning materials and interact with the content, educators, and other students. It also aims to gain knowledge and support during the teaching and learning process. This definition emphasizes on the use of internet and interaction in distance learning or e-learning. Analysis of previous studies has shown that the influence of internet on the personality growth of teenagers today is particularly worrying as, they spend so much time browsing the internet on learning purposes. The changes taking place in teaching and learning methods that extensively use the internet to connect, interact and share learning materials today due to the Covid-19 pandemic should be treated in a positive angle although it also has negative impact on the student’s character building. Therefore, this study uses conceptual methods aimed at discussing the influence of internet use in the implementation of e-learning. Several issues such as the impact of excessive internet usage on pupils and lack of control and monitoring from teachers and parents were also discussed. Hence, this study can provide several suggestions on how to overcome internet abuse during the implementation of e-learning especially among primary level students. It is hoped that in the future more studies will focus on the implementation of e-learning using a larger sample of teachers at the primary school level.

Alexithymia, narcissism and social anxiety in relation to social media and internet addiction symptoms.

There has been considerable interest in trait correlates of excessive or problematic use of the internet, known as internet addiction. However, the concept of internet addiction has been criticised as too broad. Specific forms of excessive internet use, for example, social media, may have different trait correlates compared to internet use in general. The present study compared levels of internet and social media addiction symptoms in relation to three traits previously linked to one or the other form of excessive behaviour: alexithymia, narcissism and social anxiety. There were 217 young adult social media- and internet-using participants aged 18-35 years recruited from two university campuses in southeast Queensland, Australia. They completed an online questionnaire battery that included a demographics questionnaire and widely used, validated measures of narcissism, alexithymia and social anxiety. Hierarchical regressions indicated that after controlling for demographic variables, internet addiction symptoms were predicted by social anxiety, narcissism and alexithymia, whereas social media addiction symptoms were predicted only by social anxiety and narcissism. Results suggest that the association of alexithymia with internet addiction symptoms does not encompass excessive use of social media, and support the contention that the concept of internet addiction may be too broad.

Gambling and online trading: emerging risks of real-time stock and cryptocurrency trading platforms

ObjectivesOnline platforms enable real-time trading activities that are similar to those of gambling. This study aimed to investigate the associations of traditional investing, real-time stock trading, and cryptocurrency trading with excessive behavior and mental health problems. Study designThis was a cross-sectional population-based survey. MethodsThe participants were Finnish people aged 18–75 years (N = 1530, 50.33% male). Survey asked about monthly regular investing, real-time stock-trading platform use, and cryptocurrency trading. The study had measures for excessive behavior: gambling (Problem Gambling Severity Index), gaming (Internet Gaming Disorder Test), internet use (Compulsive Internet Use Scale), and alcohol use (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test). Psychological distress (Mental Health Inventory), perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale), COVID-19 anxiety, and perceived loneliness were also measured. Background factors included sociodemographic variables, instant loan taking, and involvement in social media identity bubbles (Identity Bubble Reinforcement Scale). Multivariate analyses were conducted with regression analysis. ResultsWithin the sample, 22.29% were categorized into monthly regular investors only, 3.01% were investors using real-time stock-trading platforms, and 3.59% were cryptomarket traders. Real-time stock-trading platform use and cryptocurrency trading were associated with younger age and male gender. Cryptomarket traders were more likely to have an immigrant background and have taken instant loans. Both real-time stock-trading platform use and cryptomarket trading were associated with higher excessive behavior. Cryptomarket traders especially reported higher excessive gambling, gaming, and internet use than others. Cryptomarket traders reported also higher psychological distress, perceived stress, and loneliness. ConclusionsRegular investing is not a risk factor for excessive behavior. However, rapid online trading platforms and applications were significantly more commonly used by participants reporting excessive behavior and mental health problems. The strong association between cryptomarket trading and excessive behavior in particular underlines the need to acknowledge the potential risks related to real-time trading platforms.

Associations Between Uncertainty Stress, Life Stress and Internet Addiction Among Medical Students.

ObjectivesInternet Addiction (IA) is a growing issue predominate in adolescents and young adults. Although the effects of diverse stressors on IA have been highlighted, there is little consensus about the specific underpinnings of IA. The current study aims to investigate associations between uncertainty stress, life stress and IA among Chinese university medical students.MethodsA cross-sectional survey employing multi-stage sampling was used. Data were collected from 6,061 students from 27 university medical programs across China. Associations between uncertainty stress, life stress, and IA were examined by means of multivariate logistic regression.ResultsThe findings indicated that the overall IA prevalence was 12.6% (95% CI 11.7-13.5), life stress prevalence was 8.1% (95% CI 7.4-8.8), and uncertainty stress prevalence was 19.1% (95% CI 18.1-20.1). Multivariate logistic regression showed that uncertainty stress [adjusted OR 2.60 (95% CI 2.14-3.15), P < 0.001] and life stress [adjusted OR 1.71 (95% CI 1.32-2.23), P < 0.001] were positively associated with IA. Population Attributable Risk (PAR) of uncertainty stress associated with IA was 29%, and that of life stress was 15%.ConclusionsThe contribution of uncertainty stress to IA is significantly higher than that of life stress. High uncertainty stress, being male and born in a region of higher economic status were associated with excessive Internet use and IA.

Key characteristics including sex, sexual orientation and internet use associated with worse mental health among university students in Brazil and implications.

The symptoms of anxiety and depression disorders are multifactorial and can trigger a series of problems especially among university students. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and associated factors with anxiety and depression symptoms among first-semester university students at a Federal University in Brazil given the paucity of such data and the first semester is the most stressfultime. Cross-sectional study with first-semester university students. The questionnaire included socio-demographic variables, lifestyles, health conditions and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales. Descriptive analysis was performed, followed by bivariate analysis and Poisson regression analysis. Three hundred and fifty-six students (65.2%) across a range of courses in their first semester participated. The prevalence of anxiety was 42.5% and depression 33.2%. Regarding symptoms of anxiety and depression disorders, a positive association was observed among females, non-heterosexual, non-white skin color, excessive internet use, lack of physical activity, not attending university parties, having psychological counseling, history of anxiety in first- or second-degree relatives, poor self-rated health and use of psychotropic medicines. Due to the high prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms, the importance of developing programs to promote mental and physical health of university students is highlighted.