Determinants of Problematic Internet use and its Association with Disordered Eating Attitudes among Minia University Students

International Journal of Preventive Medicine (Int J Prev Med)2008-78029420180410Determinants of Problematic Internet use and its Association with Disordered Eating Attitudes among Minia University Students19061906ENDepartment of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, MinyaDepartment of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minya20180410Background: To determine the association between problematic Internet use (PIU) and disordered eating attitudes (DEAs) and to detect the potential risk factors for PIU among University students in Minia, Egypt.Methods: A cross‑sectional study was carried out among a random sample (n = 2365) of Minia University students. PIU was assessed using The Problematic Internet Use Scale (PIUS), and the DEAs were assessed using eating attitudes test‑26 questionnaire. Results: Of the 2365 students, 424 (17.9%) had DEAs, and it was more in females than males (22.3% and 14.5%, respectively). The mean of the PIUS score also was signifcantly higher in males than females (120.3 ± 30.5, and 117.5 ± 30.6, respectively). A positive moderate correlation (r = 0.48, P < 0.05) was detected between PIU and DEAs. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that PIU is signifcantly correlated with DEAs among University students in Minia, Egypt, and further studies are needed to identify the association between DEAs and PIU. Keywords: Disordered eating attitudes, problematic Internet use, university students http://ijpm.mui.ac.ir/index.php/ijpm/article/view/1906http://ijpm.mui.ac.ir/index.php/ijpm/article/download/1906/717717731