Problematic Internet Use and Body Mass Index in University Students

Abstract

Problem Statement: Today, immobility and resulting weight gainconstitutes one of the greatest problems among young people. Thegreatest problem for individuals spending a lot of time on the Internet isimmobility. The result of this status is spending less energy than theamount required daily. Immobility is considered a cause of beingoverweight, and being overweight creates a vicious cycle by leading tofurther lack of mobility.Purpose of Study: The purpose of this research is to investigate therelationship between the level of problematic Internet use (PIU) amongTurkish university students and their body mass indexes (BMI).Methods: The study sample consists of 525 university students studying atdifferent departments (Elementary, Fine Arts and Turkish LanguageEducation) at Fatih Faculty of Education at Karadeniz TechnicalUniversity during the 2010-2011 academic year. Participants were selectedthrough stratified sampling. Accordingly, in this study the departmentswere determined randomly from Faculty of Education. Distribution of thesample by gender was 234 males (44.6%) and 291 females (55.4%). Themean age of the students was 21.8 (SD=0.72). Racial distribution ofparticipants was homogenous. Questionnaires were administered tostudents in groups, in a class environment, by the author. Participationwas voluntary. In total, six hundred students participated in this study.Seventy five of them had to be excluded for not responding properly to allquestionnaires, so the final sample consisted of 525 participants.Findings and Results: The results indicate a significant relationship betweenBMI and PIU. A significant difference was determined between thestudents’ BMIs (moderate or severe weakness, normal, weight, semi-obeseand obese) and their PIU levels. Levels of PIU in those with obesity-levelBMIs were found to be higher than the other groups.