Prevalence of internet addiction among university students in Ilam: a cross-sectional study

Background and aims: Internet addiction is one of the problems emerged with the development of technology. Considering the potential negative effects of internet addiction on health, the present study aimed to determine the prevalence of internet addiction in university students in Ilam, west of Iran, in 2014. Methods: In this cross– sectional study, 1066 university students in both public and private sectors were assessed in 2014. The samples were selected by multi-stage random sampling method. Data were collected by a two-part questionnaire: the personal characteristics and Internet Addiction Test (IAT)-20. This 20-itemed questionnaire measures internet addiction in mild, moderate and severe levels. Each answer is scored based on a Likert scale from 1 to 5. The higher score represents a greater level of addiction. The total score between 20 and 49 represented mild, 50-79 showed moderate and 80-100 was severe addiction. Results: Overall, 466 (43.7%) of students were placed in the Internet addiction group. Generally, 39.6% of students had mild and 4.1% had moderate addiction. No case of sever Internet addiction was seen. Prevalence of internet addiction in the medical students was higher compared to nonmedical students (P< 0.0001). Conclusion: Based on the results, internet addiction should be considered as a serious problem in adolescents and young adults. So, it is necessary that proper use of internet to be educated to adolescents and young adults to prevent the risk of internet addiction.