Internet Addiction, Anxiety, and Salivary Cortisol Among Medical Students in Northern Iran in 2022

Abstract

Background: The occurrence of extreme behaviors and their detrimental impacts, particularly Internet addiction (IA) among students, have drawn the attention of researchers in contrast to the positive uses of the internet. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation between medical students' salivary cortisol levels, anxiety levels, and IA. Methods: One hundred and ten (110) medical interns from Golestan University of Medical Sciences in Gorgan, Iran, participated in this descriptive, analytical, cross-sectional study. A checklist was used to obtain demographic data. Internet addiction was assessed using the Young Internet Addiction Test (IAT), while anxiety levels were assessed using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A). Additionally, a saliva sample was taken early in the morning to examine the correlation between IA and salivary cortisol levels. Results: The subjects' average age was 24.69 ± 1.18 years. The participants' salivary cortisol levels were 5.57 ± 3.20 µg/dL. There was a significant difference in the IAT score for IA between the male and female groups (50.42 ± 24.11 vs. 41.09 ± 22.36, respectively, P = 0.008). The following pupils were categorized as having mild, moderate, and severe IA: 54 (49.1%), 34 (30.9%), and 22 (20%). The male and female groups did not differ substantially in their anxiety Hamilton test scores (29.22 ± 10.95 vs. 28.05 ± 12.02, respectively, P = 0.682). A statistically significant difference was observed in the anxiety scores for mild, moderate, and severe IA categories (P = 0.035). Conclusions: Nearly 20% of medical students suffer from severe IA. The study's conclusions demonstrated a significant correlation between higher levels of anxiety disorders and the intensity of IA.