ASSESSEMENT OF THE LEVEL OF INTERNET ADDICTION AND ITS DETERMINAT FACTORS AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS IN SPHMMC, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background There has been a rapid growth in internet use in Ethiopia. University students are the highest users of internet in the country. This puts them at risk of becoming pathological internet users. Pathological internet use has also been found to have negative consequences on the individuals. These include problematic social relationships, poor academic performance and psychological disturbance. Data on the level of internet addiction among university students in Ethiopia in general and in sphmmc in particular remain unknown. Objectives The purpose of this study is to determine level of internet addiction among medical students in st Paul hospital and to identify the determinates factors associated with Internet addiction. Method A cross-sectional quantitative student based study was used. The actual sample size for the study was determined using the formula for single population proportion. A self-administered open and closed ended questions were utilized to assess the degree of internet addiction and determinants factors among the medical students in sphhmc. Data was collected from May to June 2017. The data collected in questionnaire was physically checked and entered in Epi Info version 3.5.3 and transferred to SPSS version 21. The data were analysed using frequency, cross tabulation and multinomial regression and presenting in various formats. Result A total of 275students are participated giving a response rate of 100%. The majority of students by age were 21 yrs. 52 (18.9%), majority of students are year one 60 (21.8%) followed by year four 54 (19.6 %); the distribution was predominantly were male 160 (58.2%). Most of them live within the university campus 219 (79.6%). A majority 204 (74.2 %) of the respondents used their mobile phones to access internet and most of them frequently engaged in chatting with friends 99 (36%); one hundred seventeen (42.5%) were below internet user, one hundred twenty (43.6%) of the respondents were mild pathological users while thirty-eight (13.8%) were moderate pathological users and no severe pathological user. The type of activities they engaged on while online and the duration of time they spend has shown association with developing internet addiction. But it’s time that had shown significant association. Conclusion and recommendation. Internet is becoming the newly growing non-chemical addiction among medical student at st Paul hospital. The study identified that the duration of time they spent online as main contributing factor to develop internet addiction. The study also identified the activity they involved in while online as a factor for internet addiction. Therefore, there is need to organise seminars and conferences in the college with students and the society to highlight the possible dangers of pathological internet use, the factors that contribute for internet addiction and the measure that can be taken to mitigate the problem.