Effects of Internet Addiction on Physical Activity, Sleep Quality, and Depression Among University Students in Lahore

Background: Internet is one of the most widely used forms of communication globally. The amount of time spent on the internet increases, issues associated to internet overuse have surfaced, with behaviors such as searching and desiring in the absence of online connection. Addiction to the internet can also cause physical activities to be disturbed. Depression plays a significant role in the emergence of internet addiction. Objective: To study the impact of internet addiction on physical activity, sleep pattern and depression among university students and how the use of internet affects their daily routine life. Methodology: A sample size of 143 was selected. Internet Addiction Scale (IAT), International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short-Form (IPAQ), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale was used and the data was evaluated accordingly by using the Statistical Package of social Sciences (SPSS 20.0). Results: The correlation was calculated between IAT Score, BDI-II Score, ESS Score and IPAQ, The results showed that there is a moderate positive correlation between IAT Score and BDI-II Score (0.422) with its p value being significant (p=0.000). There is a weak positive correlation between IAT Score and ESS Score (0.297) and p value being significant (p=0.000). There is a very weak negative correlation between IAT Score and IPAQ (-0.124) and it is non-significant (p=1.70). There is medium positive correlation between BDI-II Score and ESS Score (0.535) and it is significant (p=0.000). There is a very weak negative correlation between BDI-II Score and IPAQ Score (-0.232) and it is significant (p=0.01). Finally, there is negative very weak correlation between ESS Score and IPAQ (-0.289) and it is significant (p=0.001). Conclusion: The conclusion of this research study shows that Internet addiction has a negative effect on physical activity, causes disruptive sleep pattern and can increase depression among university students in Lahore. Keywords: Internet addiction, physical activity, sleep pattern, depression, depression