The relationship between internet addiction with eating disorders and musculoskeletal health among university students

Aim This study aimed to examine the relationship between internet addiction (IA) with eating disorders and musculoskeletal health problems among university students. Subject and methods This study was cross-sectional. A total of 581 students (female 459; male 122) were included in the study. Data were collected through an online survey system. The questionnaire form included some socio-demographic information, Young Internet Addiction Test (YIAT), Eating Attitude Test-26 Scale (EAT-26), and Musculoskeletal System Health Questionnaire Scale (MSK-HQ). The data were evaluated with IBM SPSS 25 statistical package program and the GraphPad program. Results The prevalence of IA of the students participating in the study (mean age 21.24 +/- 2.03 years) is 8.4%. It was determined that individuals with IA had statistically significantly more back pain during their internet use compared to individuals who did not (p < 0.05). In addition, it was determined that individuals with IA had a higher risk of eating disorders and as the EAT-26 score increased, the risk of IA increased 1.02 times (OR 1.022; CI 1.001-1.044; p = 0.044). As the MSK-HQ score increases, the probability of being internet addicted also decreases (OR 0.747; CI 0.565-0.987; p = 0.040). Conclusion This study shows that IA is associated with eating disorders and deterioration in musculoskeletal health problems among university students.