title: Prevalence and risk factors of problematic internet use and the associated psychological distress among graduate students of Bangladesh.
abstract: A growing body of epidemiological literature suggests that problematic Internet use (PIU) is associated with a range of psychological health problems in adolescents and young adults. This study aimed to explore socio-demographic and behavioural correlates of PIU and examine its association with psychological distress. A total of 573 graduate students from Dhaka University of Bangladesh responded to a self-administered questionnaire that included internet addiction test (IAT), 12-items General Health Questionnaire and a set of socio-demographic and behavioural factors. The study found that nearly 24% of the participants displayed PIU on the IAT scale. The prevalence of PIU significantly varied depending on gender, socioeconomic status, smoking habit and physical activity (p < 0.05). The multiple regression analyses suggested that PIU is strongly associated with psychological distress regardless of all other explanatory variables (adjusted OR 2.37, 95% CI 1.57, 3.58). Further research is warranted to confirm this association by employing prospective study designs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000 Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Md Azharul
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Muhammad Zakir
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Hossin
keywords: Bangladesh; General health questionnaires; Internet addiction test; Socioeconomic status; Young adults