Internet: A double-edged sword? – A cross-sectional study.

Introduction: The Internet has become a must-present factor in our day-to-day life. As like any other substance like plastic, the Internet also demonstrates threats which affect health and thereby life also. Objectives: To find the prevalence and impact of internet addiction on health and lifestyle of medical students in a private medical college in Kerala. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students for a period of 1 month. A questionnaire was used to document the sociodemographic details, internet addiction by young's Internet Addiction Test, and questions regarding impact of the Internet on life. Results: In the present study, we found that 71% of students (mild 107 [54%] and moderate 34 [17%]) had internet addiction. Internet addiction was significantly associated with male gender, mobile/tablet usage, eye strain, time to initiate sleep, frequency of sleep trouble, hours spent on the Internet, money spent, presence of backache, and appetite change with internet addiction. Conclusion: The study finding of presence of internet addiction has to be considered seriously along with tobacco and alcohol consumption. Awareness has to be made relating to the right use, right amount, and right time of using the Internet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Indian Journal of Medical Specialities is the property of Wolters Kluwer India Pvt Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)