Abstract
Purpose : To find degree of internet addiction of rural elementary school students and to assess the relationship of them to the health promoting behaviors in a rural area in chungnam province. Method : Children's grade, sex and their internet habits, and family background and internet addiction records, health promoting behavior scores of 5th and 6th grade of elementary school students. Self-recorded questionnaire surveys from 2nd December to December 20, 2008, and total 393 data were analysed. Results : The results of this study were summarized as follows: 1. The internet risk group of 5th and 6th grade of rural elementary school students were 18.3%. 2. Place of major using internet were home in 84.6% of male and using internet time were more than 2hours per day and major purpose of internet was game(72.9%) than female. 3. Significant negative correlation between the degree of internet addiction and the health promoting behavior(r=-0.245. p=0.000) 4. Health promoting behavior score was 138.24${\pm}$18.64 in internet non-addictive group and 126.66${\pm}$16.81 in potential risk group, 124.60${\pm}$19.85 in high risk group 5. As a result of multiple regression analysis, degree of internet addiction, school record, health status, concern to health of the students by the parents were related to the health promoting behavior and these provided predicted 21.7%.. Conclusion : The internet addiction risk group need for the health education including health promoting behavior and counseling for treatment of internet addiction.
