ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Facebook addiction (FA) has been suggested as a potential behavioral addiction. There is a severe lack of research evidence regarding the Facebook addiction behavior among university students during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to determine factors associated with Facebook addiction among Bangladeshi university students. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 2,161 Bangladeshi university students during the COVID-19 pandemic from June 2021 to September 2021. A well fitted regression model in R programming language was used for this study. RESULTS: Female respondents and those whose family monthly income was <25,000 BDT were more addicted to Facebook than other respondents. Respondents who lost a family member or a relative to COVID-19, engaged in physical activities (exercise) during the pandemic, used Facebook for work purposes or used Facebook to relieve daily stress were more addicted to Facebook. CONCLUSION: Overuse of social media is problematic as it can trigger several mental health symptoms, especially among students. Adequate and effective interventions are required to educate students about the dangers of Facebook addiction and to provide an alternative, healthy options.
Subject(s)
Behavior, Addictive , COVID-19 , Social Media , Behavior, Addictive/epidemiology , Behavior, Addictive/psychology , COVID-19/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Pandemics , Students/psychology , UniversitiesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 outbreak spillovers mental health burden where suicide is a common psychological public health issue that affects people all over the world. This study aimed to explore the factors associated with suicidal behavior among university students in Bangladesh after one year of the COVID-19 outbreak. METHODS: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among 2100 Bangladeshi university students aged ≥18 years from April 29 to May 15, 2021. The survey questionnaire contained socio-demographic information, COVID-19 related physical and psychosocial factors (CRPPF), preventive response to psychological stress, and the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) scale. Descriptive statistics along with logistic regression were performed for statistical analysis. RESULTS: About 47.90% of the students were at risk of suicidal behavior, and female students were very likely to be at risk of suicidal behavior than their male counterparts (AOR = 2.28; 95% CI: 1.86 to 2.81). Keeping distance from friends or family (AOR = 1.66; 95% CI: 1.34 to 2.04), having relationship problems (AOR = 2.20; 95% CI: 1.79 to 2.70), feeling own selves as burden to families (AOR = 2.50; 95% CI: 2.02 to 3.11), and being stressed of lockdown (AOR = 1.56; 95% CI: 1.19 to 2.03) were highlighted as some of the significant factors associated with increased risk of suicidal behavior. CONCLUSION: University students were exposed to several factors that impose the risk of developing suicidal behavior. Concerned authorities should design & implement appropriate strategies for ensuring suicidal prevention besides their mental well-being.