Prevalence and Factors Related to Nomophobia: Arising Issues among Young Adults

Abstract

Nomophobia is characterized as apprehension of being apart from smartphone, which causes the user to seek proximity with the device. The purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence and factors associated to nomophobia among young adults in Athens, the capital city of Greece. A cross-sectional study was performed on a sample of 1408 young adults aged 18–25 years. The questionnaire was anonymous, including the socio-demographic characteristics of the participants, the smartphone uses, and the nomophobia questions. Statistical analyses were done by simple univariable techniques or modeling the data through generalized linear models. Almost all participants (99.9%) exhibited any level of nomophobia, with the moderate level prevailing (57.0%). Women and non-working participants were more likely to exhibit severe nomophobia (adj PR = 1.57) and any level of nomophobia was 30% higher among the participants whose father had no academic degree (p = 0.029). In addition, 59% of those with severe nomophobia had very frequent phone checking (p < 0.001) while 45.8% with any level of nomophobia reported a negative influence on their academic performance. Attention should be paid to early prevention through the development of integrated health promotion programs.

Fear of Disconnection: Analysis of Nomophobia among Undergraduate Students according to their Educational Program and Gender

“…As per the obtained characterization, the category with the highest number of students falls under "moderate nomophobia", followed by "mild or low nomophobia" and "severe nomophobia". In this respect, the results are akin to those of Tuco et al [24], Gunay Molu et al [25], Vagka et al [26] and Jilisha et al [27]. It is also worth mentioning that the overall mean score on the NMP-Q indicates a moderate level of nomophobia, as reported by Ahmed [7] and Pirinçci et al [22].…”

Hooked on technology: examining the co-occurrence of nomophobia and impulsive sensation seeking among nursing students

“…Having grown up with smartphones as an integral part of daily life, these students may rely more on mobile devices for communication and social connection, driven by peer influence and the desire to conform to social norms [ 54 ]. Supporting this, Vagka et al (2023) compared NMP prevalence and severity to various sociodemographic factors, including age [ 55 ]. They found a higher prevalence of NMP in young adults, particularly between 20 and 24 years old.…”

Nomophobia and Its Association with Depression, Anxiety and Stress (DASS Scale), among Young Adults in Greece

“…The maximum achievable score for the entire questionnaire is 63, and, for each subscale, it is 21. Depression scores are categorized as follows: normal (0-9), mild (10)(11)(12)(13), moderate (14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20), severe (21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27), and extremely severe (28 and above). Anxiety scores are classified as normal (0-7), mild (8-9), moderate (10)(11)(12)(13)(14), severe (15)(16)(17)(18)(19), and extremely severe (20 and above).…”

“…Anxiety scores are classified as normal (0-7), mild (8-9), moderate (10)(11)(12)(13)(14), severe (15)(16)(17)(18)(19), and extremely severe (20 and above). Stress scores fall into the following categories: normal (0-14), mild (15)(16)(17)(18), moderate (19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25), severe (26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33), and extremely severe (34 and above).…”

“…Despite the extensive use of mobile phones in Greece, there are limited scientific studies dealing with the emerging phenomenon of nomophobia in the country [26,27]. Hence, the purpose of the present investigation was to examine the association between nomophobia and the negative emotional states of depression, anxiety, and stress among young Greek adults.…”