Determination of the prevalence of addiction and related factors in university students

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of addiction and associated factors among university students. This descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational study was conducted at Gümüşhane University with the participation of 1 658 students. Data were collected online using the Sociodemographic Information Form, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form, Young Internet Addiction Test-Short Form, South Oaks Gambling Screening Test Turkish Form, and Social Media Use Disorder Scale-Turkish Form. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, ANOVA analysis of variance, Pearson correlation analysis, and linear regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Significant correlations have been identified between university students' risks for alcohol addiction, internet gaming addiction, internet addiction, gambling addiction, and social media addiction. Alcohol use disorder risk scores were found to be significantly higher in students studying at a vocational school at the university than in students studying at a faculty. This study found that there are strong correlations between addiction types, and that addictions influence each other. It was determined that university students are at risk for addictive behaviors, with social media and tobacco use being the most significant addiction areas. According to the results obtained, it is suggested that focusing on a single addiction area will not be sufficient in the fight against addictions, and that prevention and intervention programs covering all types of addiction should be carried out together with a holistic approach.