Self-assessment digital addiction and its impact on physical activity of junior medical university students

Abstract

The article discusses the problem of digital dependence and its impact on the physical activity of junior students of the West Kazakhstan Medical University named after M. Ospanov. The relevance is due to the growing use of the Internet and social networks among young people, which inevitably leads to the development of digital addiction, worsening mental and physical health, affecting sleep and physical activity. The study was carried out by remote questioning through Google Forms among 270 students from various regions of Kazakhstan, representatives of cities and villages. The analysis included Pearson correlation analysis and comparative statistical analysis with significance testing of differences. The results showed that men are more physically active, and women are more likely to show signs of digital addiction, including prolonged stay on social networks (2-5 hours daily), sleep disturbance and distraction from study. A negative correlation was established between physical activity and time in social networks (r= -0,42 to -0,72), as well as a positive association of time spent in social networks with sleep disturbance (r=0,52-0,75), eating with a gadget (r=0,59-0,71) and distraction from study (r =0,48-0,65). Territorial differences were also noted: urban students are generally more active than rural students, but urban women are more dependent. The validity of the data is supported by the statistical significance of the correlations (P<0,05 and P<0,01). The findings highlight the need for preventive programs to increase physical activity and the conscious use of digital technologies to improve student health.