How common is Internet Gaming Addiction among Undergraduates of Health Sciences Programs Active on Social Media in Karachi? A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the frequency of internet gaming addiction among undergraduate medical students of Karachi, its effect on their academic performance, and their overall health status. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in selected government and private medical colleges of Karachi from November 2021 to March 2022. Medical students, who were enrolled in year 1 to year 5 of undergraduates health sciences programs of government and private sector of Karachi and had a smartphone and internet connection for past 1 year were included in the study. Internet gaming disorder scale (IGDS-9) was used to determine the proportion of addicted medical undergraduates. Results: Out of 400 medical students, 212 (53%) students were at risk of getting addicted and 13 (3.3%) students were found to be addicted to internet gaming. Male students were found significantly higher at risk of developing internet gaming addiction and were found to be more addicted as compared to female students i.e., 202 (50.5%) vs. 198 (49.5%) (p-value < 0.001) respectively. Students who had a higher-grade point average (GPA) 230 (57.5%) were significantly lesser at risk of developing internet gaming addiction as compared to 170 (42.5%) students who had a lower GPA (p-value 0.003). Conclusion: More than half of the study population with predominant males was at risk of developing gaming addiction and they exhibited more health-related effects. Their academic grades were also affected. It is imperative to counsel this cohort for reducing the effects of internet gaming addiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]