IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2023i3p2434-d1050963.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Problematic Internet Use among Polish Students: Prevalence, Relationship to Sociodemographic Data and Internet Usage Patterns

Author

Listed:
  • Marta Kożybska

    (Subdepartment of Medical Law, Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, ul. Żołnierska 48, 71-210 Szczecin, Poland)

  • Iwona Radlińska

    (Subdepartment of Medical Law, Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, ul. Żołnierska 48, 71-210 Szczecin, Poland)

  • Marcin Kolwitz

    (Subdepartment of Medical Law, Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, ul. Żołnierska 48, 71-210 Szczecin, Poland)

  • Beata Karakiewicz

    (Subdepartment of Social Medicine and Public Health, Department of Social Medicine, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Żołnierska Str. 48, 71-210 Szczecin, Poland)

Abstract

Problematic Internet Use (PIU) is a broad term that covers problems with Internet use that result in psychological, social, academic or professional difficulties. The aim of our study was to identify individuals particularly vulnerable to developing PIU among Polish students, taking into account sociodemographic characteristics and Internet use patterns. A total of 1008 students of Polish universities took part in the survey. The research tool was The Problematic Internet Use Test—the Polish version of the Internet Addiction Test. Among the respondents, 10.2% showed signs of PIU—high or very high risk of addiction. Significantly higher levels of PIU were found in males than females, science students than medical and humanities students, and Internet users using a computer, as opposed to students using only a phone/tablet. A decrease in PIU was observed as students improved their assessment of their material situation. The severity of PIU increased significantly as the importance of Internet use for entertainment increased. Our research indicates that it is worth implementing measures to prevent the development of PIU in Poland, e.g., screening educational campaigns, especially for science students. It is also necessary to offer students at lower levels of education, especially the less affluent, forms of leisure time other than computer activity with the use of the Internet.

Suggested Citation

  • Marta Kożybska & Iwona Radlińska & Marcin Kolwitz & Beata Karakiewicz, 2023. "Problematic Internet Use among Polish Students: Prevalence, Relationship to Sociodemographic Data and Internet Usage Patterns," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-14, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:3:p:2434-:d:1050963
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/3/2434/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/3/2434/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Krisztian Kapus & Rita Nyulas & Zsolt Nemeskeri & Ivan Zadori & Gyorgy Muity & Julianna Kiss & Andrea Feher & Eva Fejes & Antal Tibold & Gergely Feher, 2021. "Prevalence and Risk Factors of Internet Addiction among Hungarian High School Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-14, June.
    2. Gábor Kósa & Gergely Feher & Lilla Horvath & Ivan Zadori & Zsolt Nemeskeri & Miklos Kovacs & Éva Fejes & Janos Meszaros & Zoltan Banko & Antal Tibold, 2022. "Prevalence and Risk Factors of Problematic Internet Use among Hungarian Adult Recreational Esports Players," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-11, March.
    3. Gabor Toth & Krisztian Kapus & David Hesszenberger & Marietta Pohl & Gabor Kosa & Julianna Kiss & Gabriella Pusch & Eva Fejes & Antal Tibold & Gergely Feher, 2021. "Internet Addiction and Burnout in A Single Hospital: Is There Any Association?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-10, January.
    4. Umberto Volpe & Laura Orsolini & Virginio Salvi & Umberto Albert & Claudia Carmassi & Giuseppe Carrà & Francesca Cirulli & Bernardo Dell’Osso & Mario Luciano & Giulia Menculini & Maria Giulia Nanni & , 2022. "COVID-19-Related Social Isolation Predispose to Problematic Internet and Online Video Gaming Use in Italy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-23, January.
    5. Sergey Tereshchenko & Edward Kasparov & Marina Smolnikova & Margarita Shubina & Nina Gorbacheva & Olga Moskalenko, 2021. "Internet Addiction and Sleep Problems among Russian Adolescents: A Field School-Based Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-18, October.
    6. Xavier Carbonell & Andrés Chamarro & Ursula Oberst & Beatriz Rodrigo & Mariona Prades, 2018. "Problematic Use of the Internet and Smartphones in University Students: 2006–2017," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-13, March.
    7. Xiaoyan Yi & Guangming Li, 2021. "The Longitudinal Relationship between Internet Addiction and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents: A Random-Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-12, December.
    8. Marta Kożybska & Iwona Radlińska & Aleksandra Czerw & Grażyna Dykowska & Beata Karakiewicz, 2021. "There Are Predictors of Eating Disorders among Internet Use Characteristics—A Cross-Sectional Study on the Relationship between Problematic Internet Use and Eating Disorders," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-14, September.
    9. Basem Salama, 2020. "Prevalence and associated factors of Internet addiction among undergraduate students at Al-Beheira Governorate, Egypt," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 65(6), pages 905-910, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gábor Kósa & Gergely Feher & Lilla Horvath & Ivan Zadori & Zsolt Nemeskeri & Miklos Kovacs & Éva Fejes & Janos Meszaros & Zoltan Banko & Antal Tibold, 2022. "Prevalence and Risk Factors of Problematic Internet Use among Hungarian Adult Recreational Esports Players," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-11, March.
    2. Henrique Pereira & Gergely Fehér & Antal Tibold & Graça Esgalhado & Vítor Costa & Samuel Monteiro, 2021. "The Impact of Internet Addiction and Job Satisfaction on Mental Health Symptoms among a Sample of Portuguese Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-11, June.
    3. Marietta Pohl & Gergely Feher & Krisztián Kapus & Andrea Feher & Gabor Daniel Nagy & Julianna Kiss & Éva Fejes & Lilla Horvath & Antal Tibold, 2021. "The Association of Internet Addiction with Burnout, Depression, Insomnia, and Quality of Life among Hungarian High School Teachers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-9, December.
    4. Gaia Sampogna & Maurizio Pompili & Andrea Fiorillo, 2022. "The Short-Term Consequences of COVID-19 on Mental Health: State of the Art from Available Studies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-5, November.
    5. Dominika Wróbel-Dudzińska & Natalia Osial & Piotr Witold Stępień & Adrianna Gorecka & Tomasz Żarnowski, 2023. "Prevalence of Dry Eye Symptoms and Associated Risk Factors among University Students in Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-17, January.
    6. Youlai Zeng & Jiahui Zhang & Jiaxin Wei & Shunyu Li, 2022. "The Impact of Undergraduates’ Social Isolation on Smartphone Addiction: The Roles of Academic Anxiety and Social Media Use," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-16, November.
    7. Sergey Tereshchenko & Edward Kasparov & Nadezhda Semenova & Margarita Shubina & Nina Gorbacheva & Ivan Novitckii & Olga Moskalenko & Ludmila Lapteva, 2022. "Generalized and Specific Problematic Internet Use in Central Siberia Adolescents: A School-Based Study of Prevalence, Age–Sex Depending Content Structure, and Comorbidity with Psychosocial Problems," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-19, June.
    8. Lütjens, Henk & Eisenbeiss, Maik & Fiedler, Maximilian & Bijmolt, Tammo, 2022. "Determinants of consumers’ attitudes towards digital advertising – A meta-analytic comparison across time and touchpoints," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 445-466.
    9. Yinhao Shen & Antonio Cicchella, 2023. "Health Consequences of Intensive E-Gaming: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-10, January.
    10. Ilaria Riboldi & Chiara Alessandra Capogrosso & Susanna Piacenti & Angela Calabrese & Susanna Lucini Paioni & Francesco Bartoli & Cristina Crocamo & Giuseppe Carrà & Jo Armes & Cath Taylor, 2023. "Mental Health and COVID-19 in University Students: Findings from a Qualitative, Comparative Study in Italy and the UK," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-18, February.
    11. Guan Yang & Rulan Shangguan & Yuanyuan Ke & Songtao Wang, 2022. "The Influence of Acute Aerobic Exercise on Craving Degree for University Students with Mobile Phone Dependency: A Randomized Controlled Trial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-12, July.
    12. Eleonora Marzilli & Luca Cerniglia & Silvia Cimino & Renata Tambelli, 2022. "Internet Addiction among Young Adult University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Peritraumatic Distress, Attachment, and Alexithymia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-22, November.
    13. Kamil Kopecký & Francisco-Domingo Fernández-Martín & René Szotkowski & Gerardo Gómez-García & Klára Mikulcová, 2021. "Behaviour of Children and Adolescents and the Use of Mobile Phones in Primary Schools in the Czech Republic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-15, August.
    14. Fong, Ted C.T. & Cheng, Qijin & Pai, C.Y. & Kwan, Isabelle & Wong, Clifford & Cheung, Sing-Hang & Yip, Paul S.F., 2023. "Uncovering sample heterogeneity in gaming and social withdrawal behaviors in adolescent and young adult gamers in Hong Kong," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 321(C).
    15. Núria Aragay & Vicenç Vallès & Irene Ramos-Grille & Gemma Garrido & Enric Gamundi Grimalt & Elena Miranda Ruiz & Esther Jovell-Fernández, 2023. "Differences in Screen Addiction in the Past 15 Years," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(1), pages 1-10, December.
    16. Krisztian Kapus & Rita Nyulas & Zsolt Nemeskeri & Ivan Zadori & Gyorgy Muity & Julianna Kiss & Andrea Feher & Eva Fejes & Antal Tibold & Gergely Feher, 2021. "Prevalence and Risk Factors of Internet Addiction among Hungarian High School Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-14, June.
    17. Caizhen Ma & Jin Yan & Hejue Hu & Chongyan Shi & Feng Li & Xinyue Zeng, 2022. "Associations between 24-h Movement Behavior and Internet Addiction in Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-11, December.
    18. Laura Orsolini & Giulio Longo & Umberto Volpe, 2023. "The Mediatory Role of the Boredom and Loneliness Dimensions in the Development of Problematic Internet Use," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-15, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:3:p:2434-:d:1050963. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.