Internet use and abuse in the adult population of Galicia: Prevalence and associated characteristics

Abstract

Internet use has rapidly spread around the world becoming an indispensable part of daily life. Despite its advantages, the dysfunctional use or abuse of the Internet can lead to addiction problems. The main objectives established in this study were to assess the prevalence of Internet use in the general Galician population and the prevalence of problematic internet use (PIU) and at-risk of PIU in 2017. The Surveillance Information System on Risk Behavior is based on annual cross-sectional surveys among the population aged at least 16 years residing in Galicia, Spain. A total of 7,841 participants were recruited in 2017 using a stratified random sampling. Internet users were classified into three categories: normal use, maladaptive/at-risk of PIU and PIU, based on their score in the Internet-related experiences questionnaire. A total of 74.8%, 95% CI [73.8-75.8], of the Galician population aged 16 to 74 used the Internet in the month before the survey was performed, exceeding 95% in the population aged below 45 years. Most users use chat applications and social networks. The prevalence of PIU or at-risk of PIU in the population aged 16 to 74 was 1.0% [0.8-1.3], reaching 5.2% [4.2-6.2] in the population aged between 16 and 24. The prevalence of Internet use in Galicia is slightly lower than those obtained in Spain and Europe. Moreover, PIU is an emerging problem in the population with the youngest population being the most affected.