BACKGROUND
Contrary to the positive uses of the internet, the existence of extreme behaviors and their harmful effects, especially Internet addiction (IA) among students, has attracted researchers' attention.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to investigate the relationship between Internet addiction (IA) and anxiety levels and salivary cortisol levels in medical students
METHODS
This descriptive, analytical, cross-sectional study was performed on 110 medical students (intern) of Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran. The demographic information was collected using a checklist. The Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT) was used to measure Internet addiction and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) was used to measure anxiety levels. In addition, a sample of saliva was collected in the early morning to investigate the relationship between salivary cortisol levels and IA.
RESULTS
The mean age of the subjects was 24.69 years (±SD 1.18). The salivary cortisol level of the subjects was 5.57 µg/dl (±SD 3.20). The IAT score for IA was significantly higher in the male than in the female group (50.42 (±SD 24.11) vs. 41.09 (±SD 22.36), respectively, P = 0.008). 54 (49.1%), 34 (30.9%), and 22 (20%) students were classified as mild, moderate, and severe Internet addiction. There is no association between IA and salivary cortisol levels (P = 0.377). The Hamilton test score for anxiety was not significantly different between male and female groups (29.22 (±SD 10.95) vs 28.05 (±SD 12.02), respectively, P = 0.682). Anxiety scores for mild, moderate, and severe IA categories showed a statistically significant difference (P = 0.035). There is no association between anxiety and salivary cortisol levels (P = 0.86).
CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of severe Internet addiction among medical students is close to 20%. The findings of the study showed a statistical relationship between the severity of Internet addiction and higher levels of anxiety disorders, however, there is no association between IA and salivary cortisol levels.