Document Type : Original Article
Authors
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(1.) Assistant professor of Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Zagazig University
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(2.) Assistant professor of Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Damietta University
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(3.) Lecturer of Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Zagazig University (4.) Assistant professor of Pediatric nursing, College of Nursing, ABHA, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
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(5.) Associate Professor, College of Nursing, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia. (6.) Assistant Professor of Psychiatric Nursing and Mental Health, Faculty of Nursing, Port Said University, Egypt.
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(7.) Lecturer of Psychiatric Nursing and mental health, faculty of nursing, Damettia university
Abstract
Background: Adolescents' health literacy is essential in shaping their behaviors, including their engagement with technology. In addition to providing adolescents with new socialization opportunities and benefits for academic accomplishment, the extensive use of internet has resulted in a number of unfavorable outcomes. Adolescents are progressively becoming addicted to the internet. Aim: To explore the relationship between high school adolescents' health literacy and their propensity to engage in internet addictive behaviors. Subjects and method: A descriptive cross-sectional design was applied. The study was conducted at four Governmental secondary schools in Al- Sharqia Governorate, Egypt. The studied subjects encompassing 351 adolescents recruited randomly from each educational grade during the 2024-2025 academic year. Data collection tools: A self-administrated questionnaire was utilized for data collection which consisted of three parts which were; Student's Personal Characteristics Data Sheet, Adolescent Health Literacy Scale, and Internet Addiction Diagnostic Questionnaire. Results: The study revealed that the total mean score for internet addiction among high school adolescents was 8.63±1.68, and the majority of the participants (87.1%) had low level of health literacy. Conclusion: Notably, a highly significant negative correlation was detected between total mean scores of health literacy and internet addiction among high school adolescents. This result delivers preliminary confirmation for the extrapolative role of health literacy in adolescents’ internet addiction. Recommendation: The existing results can be utilized to launch health promotion and health literacy initiatives. This comprise designing and implementing multimedia ongoing educational initiatives to raise adolescents' awareness of internet addiction phenomenon and stop its detrimental effects on their mental, behavioral, academic, and even physical health.
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