Possible Demographic, Physical, and Psychological Characteristics Associated with Internet Addiction in Turkish People

Abstract

Background: Internet addiction is a growing concern worldwide, affecting individuals of all ages and backgrounds. To date, little is known about the demographic, physical, and psychological characteristics of Turkish adults with internet addiction. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the possible associated demographic, physical, and psychological characteristics of internet addiction in Turkish adults, with the goal of informing prevention and intervention efforts. Methods: The sociodemographic information collected in this study included age, gender, dominant upper limb, educational status, employment status, size of place of residence and smoking use. The Internet Addiction Scale was used to assess internet addiction. International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to assess physical activity levels. Beck Depression Inventory was used to assess depression-related symptoms, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to assess sleep quality. Results: The participants in the study had an average age of 45 years with a standard deviation of ±9 years, ranging from 18 to 65 years. The multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that among the variables studied, only moderate or severe depression was significantly associated with strong internet addiction with an odds ratio of 11.496 and a p-value of 0.002. None of the other variables showed a significant association with strong internet addiction (p>0.05). Conclusion: Overall, the findings of this study highlight the importance of considering depression as a potential risk factor for internet addiction. Future research could explore the underlying mechanisms and causal pathways between depression and internet addiction, and investigate potential interventions to address this issue.