Factors associated with problematic internet use among University of Gondar undergraduate students, Northwest Ethiopia: Structural equation modeling.

BACKGROUND: For young adults and adolescents, excessive internet use has become a serious public health concern due to its negative impact on their health. It has been associated with detrimental effects on both physical and mental health. Negative academic outcomes were observed in the students, including missing classes, lower grades, and academic dismissal. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to identify factors associated with PIU among undergraduate students at the University of Gondar. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Gondar among 1514 undergraduate students from June 1-20, 2022. The study participants were selected using a stratified simple random selection procedure. Using structural equation modeling, the degree of relationship was ascertained. A p-value of less than 0.05 and an adjusted regression coefficient with a 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to interpret the data. RESULTS: In our study, being from non-health departments [ß = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.037, 0.181], current alcohol use [ß = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.061, 0.187], depressive symptoms [ß = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.175, 0.291], insomnia symptoms [ß = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.060, 0.196], and ADHD symptoms [ß = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.049, 0.166] had a significant positive effect on PIU, while having a history of head injury had a significant negative effect [ß = -0.12, 95% CI: -0.226, -0.021] on PIU. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: Factors such as current alcohol use, non-health department type, depressive symptoms, insomnia, and ADHD symptoms were positively associated with PIU. However, a history of head injuries was negatively associated with PIU. Therefore, strategies aimed at the early identification of PIU may lead to an improvement in the psychosocial health of university students.

Magnitude, relationship and determinants of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and depression among University of Gondar undergraduate students, Northwest Ethiopia, 2022: Non-recursive structural equation modeling.

BACKGROUND: Up to 80% of adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may have a concomitant psychiatric disorder. ADHD and depression, combined with the demands of University life, can pose serious challenges for students. However, there are limited studies conducted on this topic in our country. Therefore, the current study assessed the magnitude, relationship, and determinants of ADHD and depressive symptoms among students at the University of Gondar. METHOD: An institution-based cross-sectional study was employed among 1514 undergraduate students at the University of Gondar from June 1-20, 2022. A stratified, simple random sampling technique was applied. Structural equation modeling was employed. The degree of relationship was interpreted based on the adjusted regression coefficient with 95% confidence interval (CI) and p-value (<0.05). RESULT: In our study, 37.6% [CI: 35.2-40.1%] and 20.01% [CI: 18.1-22.1%] of the participants had depressive and ADHD symptoms, respectively. Chronic illness [ß = 0.19, CI; 0.09, 0.30], alcohol use [ß = 0.10, CI; 0.03, 0.17], social support [ß = -0.23, CI; -0.29, -0.17], problematic internet use (PIU) [ß = 0.23, CI; 0.18, 0.27], and insomnia [ß = 0.24, CI; 0.17, 0.30] had a direct relationship with depressive symptoms. Mother education level [ß = -0.09, CI; -0.13, -0.06], birth order [ß = -0.09, CI; -0.11, -0.07], chat chewing [ß = 0.18, CI; 0.06, 0.30], and depressive symptoms [ß = 0.73, CI; 0.62, 0.86] had a direct relationship with ADHD. Chronic illness [ß = 0.14, CI; 0.06, 0.22], PIU [ß = 0.16, CI; 0.13, 0.21], social support [ß = -0.16, CI; -0.22, -0.12], and insomnia [ß = 0.17, CI; 0.13, 0.23] had an indirect effect on ADHD. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: The prevalence of ADHD and depressive symptoms was high. Chronic disease, alcohol use, social support, PIU, and insomnia had a direct effect on depressive symptoms and an indirect effect on ADHD. Mother education, birth order, chat chewing, and depressive symptoms had a direct effect on ADHD. Our study provided useful clues for clinical treatment and school-based interventions that aim to improve college students' mental well-being. It is better to design school-based intervention and prevention programs to achieve timely diagnosis and treatment of these disorders among university students.