Internet addiction during the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescents in southeast Nigeria and implications for adolescent care in the post-pandemic era: A cross-sectional study
Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of internet addiction amongst adolescents in Southeast Nigeria during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 10 randomly selected secondary schools, 2 (one urban...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2023-02-01
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| Series: | SAGE Open Medicine |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/20503121231152763 |
| _version_ | 1797894710241525760 |
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| author | Vivian Ozoemena Onukwuli Enebe Nympha Onyinye Ifeoma Bridget Udigwe Uche Marian Umeh Joseph Tochukwu Enebe Anthony Tochukwu Umerah |
| author_facet | Vivian Ozoemena Onukwuli Enebe Nympha Onyinye Ifeoma Bridget Udigwe Uche Marian Umeh Joseph Tochukwu Enebe Anthony Tochukwu Umerah |
| author_sort | Vivian Ozoemena Onukwuli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of internet addiction amongst adolescents in Southeast Nigeria during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 10 randomly selected secondary schools, 2 (one urban and one rural) each from Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi Enugu and Imo states of southeastern Nigeria between July and August 2021. Data on demographic variables were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire. Young’s Internet Addiction Test was used to assess the extent of internet use. Analysis was done using the IBM SPSS Statistics version 23. The level of significance was set at a p -value of <0.05. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 16.2 ± 1.8 years and the male: female ratio was 1:1.6. Most of the adolescents (61.1%) used the internet for academic purposes, while 32.8% used it for social interactions and the majority (51.5%) used their phones. The prevalence of internet addiction was 88.1% (24.9% had mild, 59.6% had moderate, while 3.6% had severe addiction) and a good proportion of the respondents (81.1%) perceived addiction as bad. Internet addiction was significantly associated with the respondent’s age ( p = 0.043), mother’s level of education ( p = 0.023), family size ( p = 0.021), place of residence ( p = 0.035), alcohol intake ( p = 0.017), smoking ( p = 0.015), substance use ( p = 0.001) as well as the duration of internet use ( p < 0.001). Internet addiction was predicted by the male gender (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 2.054; confidence interval (CI): 1.200–3.518), early adolescent age group (10–13 years) (AOR: 0.115; C1: 0.015–0.895) as well as the duration of internet use (AOR: 0.301; CI: 0.189–0.479). Conclusions: The prevalence of internet addiction among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic era was high. The predictors of addiction were the male gender, early adolescent age group and duration of internet use. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T07:14:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1101efec1156491e9cbdda5b9c128b03 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-3121 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T07:14:46Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | SAGE Open Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-1101efec1156491e9cbdda5b9c128b032023-02-25T21:34:08ZengSAGE PublishingSAGE Open Medicine2050-31212023-02-011110.1177/20503121231152763Internet addiction during the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescents in southeast Nigeria and implications for adolescent care in the post-pandemic era: A cross-sectional studyVivian Ozoemena Onukwuli0Enebe Nympha Onyinye1Ifeoma Bridget Udigwe2Uche Marian Umeh3Joseph Tochukwu Enebe4Anthony Tochukwu Umerah5College of Medicine, University of Nigeria Ituku/Ozalla, Enugu, NigeriaUniversity of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, NigeriaNnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra, NigeriaChukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Awka, Anambra, NigeriaESUT Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu, NigeriaFederal University of Technology Owerri, Owerri, Imo, NigeriaObjectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of internet addiction amongst adolescents in Southeast Nigeria during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 10 randomly selected secondary schools, 2 (one urban and one rural) each from Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi Enugu and Imo states of southeastern Nigeria between July and August 2021. Data on demographic variables were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire. Young’s Internet Addiction Test was used to assess the extent of internet use. Analysis was done using the IBM SPSS Statistics version 23. The level of significance was set at a p -value of <0.05. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 16.2 ± 1.8 years and the male: female ratio was 1:1.6. Most of the adolescents (61.1%) used the internet for academic purposes, while 32.8% used it for social interactions and the majority (51.5%) used their phones. The prevalence of internet addiction was 88.1% (24.9% had mild, 59.6% had moderate, while 3.6% had severe addiction) and a good proportion of the respondents (81.1%) perceived addiction as bad. Internet addiction was significantly associated with the respondent’s age ( p = 0.043), mother’s level of education ( p = 0.023), family size ( p = 0.021), place of residence ( p = 0.035), alcohol intake ( p = 0.017), smoking ( p = 0.015), substance use ( p = 0.001) as well as the duration of internet use ( p < 0.001). Internet addiction was predicted by the male gender (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 2.054; confidence interval (CI): 1.200–3.518), early adolescent age group (10–13 years) (AOR: 0.115; C1: 0.015–0.895) as well as the duration of internet use (AOR: 0.301; CI: 0.189–0.479). Conclusions: The prevalence of internet addiction among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic era was high. The predictors of addiction were the male gender, early adolescent age group and duration of internet use.https://doi.org/10.1177/20503121231152763 |
| spellingShingle | Vivian Ozoemena Onukwuli Enebe Nympha Onyinye Ifeoma Bridget Udigwe Uche Marian Umeh Joseph Tochukwu Enebe Anthony Tochukwu Umerah Internet addiction during the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescents in southeast Nigeria and implications for adolescent care in the post-pandemic era: A cross-sectional study SAGE Open Medicine |
| title | Internet addiction during the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescents in southeast Nigeria and implications for adolescent care in the post-pandemic era: A cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Internet addiction during the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescents in southeast Nigeria and implications for adolescent care in the post-pandemic era: A cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Internet addiction during the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescents in southeast Nigeria and implications for adolescent care in the post-pandemic era: A cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Internet addiction during the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescents in southeast Nigeria and implications for adolescent care in the post-pandemic era: A cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Internet addiction during the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescents in southeast Nigeria and implications for adolescent care in the post-pandemic era: A cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | internet addiction during the covid 19 pandemic among adolescents in southeast nigeria and implications for adolescent care in the post pandemic era a cross sectional study |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/20503121231152763 |
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