preprints.org > public health and healthcare > public, environmental and occupational health > doi: 10.20944/preprints202305.2268.v1

Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Version 1 : Received: 31 May 2023 / Approved: 31 May 2023 / Online: 31 May 2023 (14:40:04 CEST)

Background: The Internet has become an essential component of college students' lives, serving as a tool for academic pursuits, daily activities, and social interactions with individuals and the global community. Productive internet use is associated with student success, while pathological internet use can negatively impact psychosocial performance. This study aimed to assess the impact of internet addiction on the cognitive function, mood, and physical activity of college students. Study design: The study was based on a correlational observational study design. Settings: The study’s participants were taken using a convenience sampling method from the Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies campus, Faridabad, Haryana, having a student strength of more than two thousand. Methods: With a response rate of 69.93%, one hundred male and female college students who could understand the self-administered questionnaires and obtained the internet addiction test (IAT) scores equal to or above twenty participated (aged 18-25 years) in this study. The participants were assessed for the study’s outcomes, such as the internet addiction (viz. average, moderate, and excessive) cognition, mood, and physical activity level, using an internet addiction test questionnaire (IATQ), cognitive failure questionnaire (CFQ), the profile of mood state questionnaire (POMS), and international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ), respectively. A categorical analysis with mean scores was carried out for all the outcomes. The correlation between internet dependency and cognitive abilities, emotional state, and levels of physical activity among the participants was ascertained using Pearson's correlation coefficient. The threshold of significance was set to 95%, meaning any p-value < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The study’s outcome variable- internet addiction, revealed a moderate positive correlation with cognition (r=0.793; p=0.001) and mood (r=0.703; p=012), while a moderate negative correlation with physical activity (r=-0.681; p=003). Conclusion: The study concluded that internet addiction is positively linked to cognition and mood disruption; however, it negatively affects physical activities among college students. An awareness program should be executed on “Internet addiction and its effects on college students’ Cognition, Mood, and Physical Activity” and advocating Internet use in a limited manner for getting aroused, feeling better, and avoiding physical inactivity.

Online surfing; Screen addiction; Physical inactivity; Mood; Cognition

Public Health and Healthcare, Public, Environmental and Occupational Health

* All users must log in before leaving a comment