Determinants of Problematic Internet use and its Association with Disordered Eating Attitudes among Minia University Students

BACKGROUND: To determine the association between problematic Internet use (PIU) and disordered eating attitudes (DEAs) and to detect the potential risk factors for PIU among University students in Minia, Egypt. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out among a random sample (n = 2365) of Minia University students. PIU was assessed using The Problematic Internet Use Scale (PIUS), and the DEAs were assessed using eating attitudes test-26 questionnaire. RESULTS: Of the 2365 students, 424 (17.9%) had DEAs, and it was more in females than males (22.3% and 14.5%, respectively). The mean of the PIUS score also was significantly higher in males than females (120.3 ± 30.5, and 117.5 ± 30.6, respectively). A positive moderate correlation (r = 0.48, P < 0.05) was detected between PIU and DEAs. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that PIU is significantly correlated with DEAs among University students in Minia, Egypt, and further studies are needed to identify the association between DEAs and PIU.