The Relationship between Internet Addiction and Academic Enthusiasm among Medical Sciences Students

Galehdar, Nasrin; Souri, Zahra; Mokhayeri, Yaser; Ahmadi, Hamid; Falahi, Bita

doi:10.22087/ijac.2025.517363.1058

The Relationship between Internet Addiction and Academic Enthusiasm among Medical Sciences Students

Document Type : Research

Authors

Nasrin Galehdar ¹

Zahra Souri ²

Yaser Mokhayeri ³

Hamid Ahmadi ⁴

Bita Falahi ¹

¹ Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Department of Surgical Technology, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran

² Student Research Center, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran

³ Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom

⁴ Mehr Psychiatric Hospital, School of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran

10.22087/ijac.2025.517363.1058

Abstract

Excessive Internet usage has been identified as a potential cause of psychological, social, educational, and occupational issues. Students, in particular, are at risk of experiencing complications arising from excessive Internet use. This study examines the correlation between Internet addiction and academic enthusiasm among students at Lorestan University of Medical Sciences (Iran). Conducted as an analytical cross-sectional study, the research encompassed undergraduate students from the university in 2022, with a sample size of 295 participants selected through simple random sampling. The research instruments employed were Young's Internet Addiction Questionnaire and Fredericks et al.'s Academic Enthusiasm Questionnaire. Data analysis was executed using an independent t-test and one-way ANOVA via Stata17 software. The findings revealed that 25.42% of students were susceptible to Internet addiction. The overall scores for academic enthusiasm, along with its emotional, behavioral, and cognitive components, ranged from moderate to high. A statistically significant difference was observed in the cognitive passion component across different age groups (P=0.01) and marital statuses (P=0.005). However, no significant statistical relationship was found between Internet addiction and other components of academic enthusiasm or other demographic characteristics. In conclusion, excessive Internet use among students leads to health issues and hinders their ability to engage in activities such as continuing education, completing assignments, studying, and exam preparation. Consequently, it is recommended that this study be replicated following the implementation of psychological interventions, emotion-control training, and strategies to enhance academic motivation.

Keywords

Academic Successes

Behavior

Medical Students

Internet addiction Disorder

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