Srpski arhiv za celokupno lekarstvo 2015 Volume 143, Issue 11-12, Pages: 719-725
https://doi.org/10.2298/SARH1512719A
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Prevalence of internet addiction among schoolchildren in Novi Sad
Ač-Nikolić Eržebet (Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, Novi Sad + Medical Faculty, Novi Sad)
Zarić Dragana (Primary Health Care Center “Novi Sad”, Novi Sad)
Nićiforović-Šurković Olja (Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, Novi Sad + Medical Faculty, Novi Sad)
Introduction. Internet use has increased rapidly all over the world.
Excessive Internet use tends to lead to the creation of a non-chemical
addiction, most commonly known as “Internet addiction.” Objective. The aim of
this study was an assessment of the prevalence of Internet use and Internet
addiction among school children aged 14-18 years in the Municipality of Novi
Sad, Serbia, and influence of sociodemographic variables on Internet use.
Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Novi Sad among final-year
students from elementary and first- and second-year students from high
schools. The prevalence of Internet addiction was assessed by using Young’s
Diagnostic Questionnaire. Results. Out of 553 participants, 62.7% were
females, and the average age was 15.6 years. The sample consisted of 153
elementary school students and 400 high school students. Majority of
respondents had a computer in their household. Our study showed widespread
Internet use among adolescents. Facebook and YouTube were among most visited
web-sites. The main purpose of Internet use was entertainment. Estimated
prevalence of Internet addiction was high (18.7%), mostly among younger
adolescents (p=0.013). Conclusion. Internet addiction was found in every
fifth adolescent. Accessibility and availability of Internet use is
constantly growing and therefore it is necessary to define more sensitive
diagnostic tools for the assessment of Internet addiction and its underlying
causes, in order to implement effective preventive programs.
Keywords: Internet addiction, schoolchildren, prevalence