Internet Addiction and Self-Reported Well-Being Among School-Going Adolescents in Bangladesh: A Cross-Sectional Study

Internet addiction (IA) is a growing concern among school-going teenagers worldwide, including in Bangladesh, which may affect their health and well-being. This study had two aims: first, to estimate the proportion of school-going adolescents reporting different health and well-being symptoms (headache, dizziness, fatigue, sleeping problems, depression, and palpitations); and second, to examine the association between internet addiction (IA) and these outcomes in both urban and rural areas of Bangladesh.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in urban and rural areas from January to December 2021 among 384 school-going adolescents. Adolescents aged 10 to 19 years studying in school and using cellphones for at least 6 months were interviewed through a two-stage cluster sampling technique. The Pearson Chi-square test, bar charts, and binary logistic regression model were utilized to analyze the data.

The majority of adolescents (86.06%) were aged 15-19 years, with 55.73% female, evenly split between rural and urban areas. The prevalence of mild, moderate, and severe Internet addiction (IA) was 24.48%, 13.8%, and 1.04%, respectively. Half of the respondents with severe IA reported headaches and palpitations, while 75.00% experienced fatigue, sleep problems, and depression. Moreover, dizziness, headache, and palpitations were reported by 50.00% of those with severe IA. Higher age (15 to 19) and females were associated with a greater risk of these symptoms, while rural adolescents suffered less, except for sleep problems. Severe IA significantly increased the likelihood of headaches [AOR: 3.96, CI: 0.54-28.83, p = 0.17], dizziness [AOR: 14.53, CI: 1.91-110.5, p < 0.01], fatigue [AOR: 11.27, CI: 1.15 - 110.69, p = 0.04], sleep problems [AOR: 35.83, CI: 3.54-362.34, p < 0.01], depression [AOR: 43.6, CI: 4.27-444.93, p < 0.01], and palpitations [AOR: 10.1, CI: 1.35-75.39, p = 0.02].

Older age (15-19), females, and urban adolescents are more likely to experience poor levels of health-related well-being. Furthermore, Higher levels of IA among Bangladeshi school-going teenagers are significantly associated with their poor self-reported well-being.