Internet Addiction and Its Associated Factors among School-going Adolescents in Malaysia
- Author:
Muhd Hafizuddin Taufik Ramli
1
;
Muhammad Solihin Rezali
1
;
Nik Adilah Shahein
1
;
Norhafizah Sahril
1
;
Chan Ying Ying
1
;
Nor’ Ain Ab Wahab
1
;
Mohd Shaiful Azlan Kassim
1
Author Information
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords: Internet addiction; public health; adolescents; NHMS; Malaysia.
- From:International Journal of Public Health Research 2021;11(2):1466-1473
- CountryMalaysia
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Introduction:Internet usage has changed the way adolescents socialize. This study aims to
determine the determinants of internet addiction among school-going adolescents
in Malaysia.
Methods:This study was a cross-sectional study involving 27,455 school-going adolescents from 212 selected schools in Malaysia, as part of the 2017 National Health and Morbidity Survey that implemented a two-stage stratified cluster sampling design. Data collection via a self-administered questionnaire was conducted from March till May 2017.
Results:Overall, 8,049 (29.0%) school-going adolescents had internet addiction. Internet addiction was positively associated with male (odds ratio, OR [95% confidence interval, CI] = 1.20 [1.08,1.34]) compared to female, Chinese ethnicity (1.67 [1.12,2.48]) compared to other ethnicity, feeling loneliness (1.37 [1.20,1.57]) compared to never feel lonely, unable to sleep due to worrying of something (1.40 [1.17,1.67]) compared to able to sleep, insufficient parental supervision (1.30 [1.14,1.48]) compared to sufficient parental supervision, depression (1.67 [1.48,1.89]) compared to no depression, anxiety (2.12 [1.95,2.30]) compared to no anxiety and stress (2.26 [1.96,2.61]) compared to no stress. The odds of having internet addiction increase from Form 2 (1.51 [1.28,1.78]), Form 3 (2.37 [2.01,2.80]), Form 4 (2.60 [1.76,3.85]) to Form 5 adolescents (2.96 [1.98,4.41]) compared to Form 1 adolescents.
Conclusions:Our results suggest that being a male, of Chinese ethnicity, higher form level, feeling loneliness, unable to sleep due to worrying of something, insufficient parental supervision, depression, anxiety and stress were positively associated with internet addiction among school-going adolescents. - Full text:202407030835174024021.2021my0265.pdf
