ABSTRACT

Internet addiction has become a behavioral problem globally, especially among youth. Whether this phenomenon is a concern has not been assessed in Ethiopia. This study investigated the prevalence of Internet addiction and risk factors for Internet addiction among undergraduate students at a university in Ethiopia. Data were collected from 812 undergraduate students recruited from 5 campuses using stratified random sampling techniques. Participants completed a pretested structured questionnaire. The results indicated that the prevalence of Internet addiction was 35.2%, with severe addiction for 1.8% and mild addiction for 33.4% of participants. Internet addiction rates were higher among female students compared to their male counterparts (38.3% vs. 33.4%). Senior students reported more addiction to Internet use, χ² = 42.72, p< .001. Academic grade-point average (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = .19, 95% CI [.13, .29]), parental supervision (AOR = .96, 95% CI [.92, .99]), self-esteem (AOR = .95, 95% CI [.91, .99]), and peer pressure (AOR = 1.16, 95% CI [1.10, 1.22]) were risk factors for Internet addiction. Our findings revealed that more than one third of the respondents had an addiction to the Internet. Increased grade-point average, higher self-esteem, and higher perceived parental supervision were protective against Internet addiction, whereas seniority among students and peer pressure were drivers toward Internet addiction. These findings highlight the importance of considering the identified factors in designing interventions to prevent and control Internet addiction among students.

摘要

网络成瘾已成为全球的行为问题，尤其是在年轻人中。埃塞俄比亚尚未评估这种现象是否值得关注。本研究调查了埃塞俄比亚一所大学本科生网络成瘾的流行情况和网络成瘾的危险因素。使用分层随机抽样技术从 5 个校区招募的 812 名本科生中收集数据。参与者完成了预先测试的结构化问卷。结果表明，网络成瘾的患病率为 35.2%，其中重度成瘾者为 1.8%，轻度成瘾者为 33.4%。女学生的网络成瘾率高于男学生（38.3% 对 33.4%）。高年级学生报告对互联网使用的成瘾程度更高，χ ² = 42.72，p < .001。学业平均成绩（调整优势比 [AOR] = .19, 95% CI [.13, .29]），家长监督（AOR = .96, 95% CI [.92, .99]），自我自尊（AOR = .95, 95% CI [.91, .99]）和同伴压力（AOR = 1.16, 95% CI [1.10, 1.22]）是网络成瘾的危险因素。我们的调查结果显示，超过三分之一的受访者沉迷于互联网。平均成绩的提高、更高的自尊心和更高的父母监督感知对网络成瘾具有保护作用，而学生的资历和同伴压力是网络成瘾的驱动因素。这些发现强调了在设计干预措施以预防和控制学生网络成瘾时考虑已确定因素的重要性。