Internet Addiction among Nursing Students and its impact on their academic performance: Case study at the Higher Institute of Nursing Professions and Health Techniques of Oujda

Introduction Nowadays, the use of the Internet has become a very popular practice. However, excessive use can lead to serious problems such as cyberaddiction. This phenomenon has repercussions on several levels, including academic performance. Objectives This study aimed to explore the prevalence of cyberaddiction and its associated factors among nursing students at the Higher Institute of Nursing Professions and Health Techniques of Oujda in Morocco. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out among undergraduate nursing students in the city of Oujda, Morocco. The data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire that was directly distributed to all of the targeted students, exploring their demographic and academic profiles. Young scale was used to identify the levels of cyberaddiction among participants. Results The average student’s daily connection time was 5.3+/- 3.2 hours. 26.3% of the participants were identified as cyber-dependent, and 1.4% were suffering serious issues linked to cyberaddiction. Internet addiction was significantly associated with academic failure. Conclusions These results should lead to preventive measures in order to protect nursing students from the potential harmful effects of internet excessive use. Disclosure of Interest None Declared