Problematic Internet Use Among Medical Students: Examination of Social, Lifestyle, Personality Characteristics and Mental Health

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Problematic internet use (PIU) can be defined as internet use that is not well-controlled. The aim of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire Short Form (PIUQ-SF-6) among Serbian medical students and to examine the prevalence of students at risk of problematic internet use and social, lifestyle, and mental health characteristics associated with it. We conducted a cross-sectional study that included a total of 735 medical students (66.8% female and 33.2% male) attending classes in Social Medicine during the 2023/2024 school year. The instrument used was a questionnaire developed based on the questionnaires in similar studies. A total of 160 students (21.8%) were in the problematic internet use group, and 575 were in the non-problematic internet use group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis with PIU as the outcome variable showed an association between PIU and the Patient Health Questionnaire−9 score (OR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.03–1.16) and impulsivity (OR: 1.07, 95% CI: 1.05–1.10). The mental health of medical students, as future health professionals, should be promoted through tailored interventions that are widely accessible and long-lasting.