Internet use and its association to physical activity, nutrition habits, sense of loneliness, and self-efficacy in Greek adolescents: a multi-center, school-based, cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION Increasing reliance on the internet in adolescence has raised concerns regarding its potential impact on physical/psychological well-being. This study aimed to examine the prevalence and factors associated with internet addiction (IA) among high school students. METHODS A school-based, multi-center, cross-sectional survey was conducted from November 2023 to April 2024 among 1727 first-year Lyceum students in Crete, Greece. Τhe participating schools were selected using a random number generator, through a two-stage sampling procedure. Forty-two of the 69 Regions’ high schools were selected and agreed to participate, targeting 3435 first-year high school students. The study sheet included a 25-item General Information Form along with items from the Greek versions of five scales: The Internet Addiction Test (IAT) scale was used and physical activity status (IPAQ), eating habits (KIDMED), sense of loneliness (UCLALS), and self-efficacy (GSE) were evaluated. Multivariate analysis was implemented to assess differences. RESULTS Of the students, 60.4% were girls, 49.8% lived in households with ≥4 family members, 63.3% reported difficulty waking up in the morning, and 90.1% had internet access via a smartphone. The mean IAT score was low (38.1/100), while 45.3% exhibited mild addiction and 22.2% moderate-to-severe addiction. Higher IAT score was correlated with girls (r=0.100, p<0.001), difficulty falling asleep (r=0.188, p<0.001), and difficulty waking up in the morning (r=0.225, p<0.001