Determinants of problematic internet use among El-Minia high school students,Egypt

Background: problematic internet use (piu) is a growing problem in egyptian adolescents. this study was designed to assess the prevalence of piu among high school students in el-minia governorate and to determine the personal,clinical,and social characteristics of them. methods: across-sectional study was applied among a random sample of high school students in el-minia governorate. piu was assessed by the 20-item young internet addiction test (yiat). information was also collected on demographics,dietary,and health-related factors. statistical analysis used: statistical package for social sciences (spss-16) software was used. chi-square test (x2),fisher's exact test,and one-way analysis of variance (anova) were used whenever,applicable. multinomial logistic regression analyses were also applied in order to calculate the odds ratios (or). results: of the 605 students,16 (2.6%) were problematic internet users (pius),110 (18.2%) were potential (pius). adolescents with piu were associated with male gender,poor friends' relations,bad family relations,irregular bedtime,and bad personal hygiene. pius were more likely to suffer from physical symptoms; weight gain,joint stiffness,lack of physical energy,and emotional symptoms. conclusions: the prevalence of piu reported in this study is low,however,the potential pius was high and preventative measures are recommended.