Association between Problematic Internet Use and Overweight and Obesity among in School Adolescents in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia .cross sectional study

Introduction: Overweight and obesity among adolescents is one of the most serious public health concerns worldwide in the 21st century. Several epidemiological studies have explored the association between problematic internet use and overweight/obesity and reported inconsistent findings. The majority of the studies in this regard were from developed nations and there are limited studies from developing countries including Ethiopia. Objectives The study was aimed to assess the association between problematic internet use and overweight and obesity among secondary school adolescents in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Methods A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted among adolescents 13–19 years old. Three-stage random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Self administered questionnaire were used to collect data.The height and weight of adolescents was measured by trained data collectors.Body Mass Index (BMI) for age Z-score was compared to WHO 2007 growth reference standards using WHO Anthro plus version 3.2.2 software. Data were entered and cleaned using epi data version 3.1 and all statistical tests were done using SPSS 20 software. Descriptive statistical tests, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was done to identify factors associated with overweight and obesity. Results Based on internet addiction test score respondents who have internet addiction test > 50 was 31.5%.Adolescents who had Internet addiction test score 31–49,50–79 and 80–100 were 8.8,8.7 and 3.4 times higher odds of overweight or obesity as compared to those who had internet addiction test of 0–31 score .(AOR = 8.8,95% CI(3-26.1)), (AOR = 8.7,95% CI (2.8–26.6)), (AOR = 4,95%CI(1.4–11.6)) respectively Conclusion and recommendation: Finding of this study revealed that strong association between problematic internet use and overweight and obesity among inschool adolescents in Addis Ababa. Parents should encourage their children for managing their children’s internet use and promoting healthier lifestyles at home