Problematic Internet Use and health behaviors in adolescent residents of urban and rural areas in Poland – a cross-sectional study

Abstract

The aim of the study: This paper attempts to assess Internet addiction and health behaviors in Polish adolescent residents of urban and rural areas. Material and methods: 131 high school students, including 62 (47.3%) residents of rural and 69 (52.7%) residents of urban areas, completed the Polish adaptation of the Problematic Internet Use Test, the Health Behavior Inventory for children and adolescents, and a self-designed survey on the characteristics of Internet use. Results: 28.2% of respondents used the Internet for over 6 hours on school days, compared to 45.8% on no-school days. In total, high and very high risk of Internet addiction was recorded in 7.7% of respondents. Significantly higher PIU scores were reported in the residents of rural areas (p <0.05). Most respondents exhibited positive health behaviors. Higher index of general health behaviors correlated with a stronger declared willingness to reduce online activity in favor of spending time outside the house. Discussion: Creating more opportunities for teenagers to spend time outdoors/away from home can contribute to their reduced online activity, and thus reduce the risk of PIU. Conclusions: Young people devote much of their time to Internet use, which is associated with their lesser engagement in health behaviors.