Facebook Use and its Relationship with Physical and Mental Health among University Students in Bangladesh
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Abstract
Facebook addiction causes different health-related problems like insomnia, loneliness, frustration, headache, wrist pain, eye pain, blurred eyes, and laziness. This study aims to assess the effects of Facebook use on the students’ physical and mental health at the University of Chittagong, Bangladesh. An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among the students (N = 385) of 21 departments from seven faculties of the university. Data were collected using a structured and self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and chi-square (χ2) analyses were performed. This study revealed that more than half of the students (54.8%) use Facebook on average for more than two hours daily. Other findings include: 49.9% of students became angry when interrupted in using Facebook, 55.1% had a headache problem, 62.1% of them have an eye pain problem, 50.0% of respondents suffered from blurred eyes, 50.1% users had insomnia problems, and they could not wake up early in the morning. Most of them reported that sometimes mealtime passed while using Facebook, and they became excited when they see something unexpected content on Facebook. Moreover, the respondents who used Facebook for more than two hours were more likely (p < .05) to suffer from different physical and mental health problems. In addition, the students whose parents were living in the urban area, parents’ higher educational qualifications, and the respondents who read newspapers irregularly had a higher likelihood of using Facebook for more than two hours daily. This study suggests increasing awareness regarding the connection between health effects and social media use among university students.
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