The Worldwide Prevalence of Internet Addiction among Medical Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: The internet helps us obtain necessary information, facilitates social communication, and provides access to entertainment content. The internet can also lead to the behavioral addictive condition termed internet addiction (IA) if used excessively. As active internet users, medical students are susceptible to IA, which is known to lead to depression and improper medical care delivery, poor academic performance, worse sleep quality, and undesirable financial issues. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess medical students’ pooled IA prevalence. Methods: The analysis included thirteen cross-sectional studies involving 4787 medical students. Cumulative, subgroup, and meta-regression meta-analyses were applied, using the random-effects model and the restricted maximum likelihood method. Results: The cumulative meta-analysis revealed a rise in the proportion of IA from 0.08 to 0.29, with minor fluctuations between 2015 and 2022. The IA prevalence in lower-middle-income countries was approximately three times higher than in high-income ones. Age and gender were not associated with IA among medical students. Conclusions: The worldwide prevalence of IA was 0.29, with a 95% CI between 0.19 and 0.41. Considering negative IA implications for medical students’ well-being, policymakers and all stakeholders should pay special attention to addressing IA within the medical student community.