PREVALENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION AND ITS ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARAWAK (UNIMAS), SARAWAK

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of SMA and its associated factors among undergraduate students at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS).

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 420 undergraduate students from ten faculties using simple random sampling. Data were collected using the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21). Descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and Pearson’s correlation analyses were applied.

Results: The prevalence of SMA was 16.7%. Female students were significantly more likely to be addicted than male students (p=0.047). Ethnicity was also associated with SMA (p<0.001), with Indian students reporting the highest prevalence (61.5%). Age was negatively correlated with SMA (r=–0.123, p=0.012), indicating younger students were more at risk. SMA showed moderate positive correlations with depression (r=0.422), anxiety (r=0.378), and stress (r=0.451) (all p<0.001).

Conclusion: SMA is prevalent among UNIMAS students and is significantly associated with gender, ethnicity, and younger age. Moreover, higher SMA levels were linked with poorer mental health outcomes. Universities should implement integrated digital literacy and mental health programmes that promote balanced technology use and support early identification of students at risk of SMA.