Frequency of Nomophobia Among Medical Students of Hayatabad, Peshawar, Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract

Nomophobia is a new medical term coined in 2008 by a UK-based health organization. It is an acronym for the term “No mobile phone phobia” and refers to people's anxiety and fear of being unable to use their smartphones due to their battery running out or being out of coverage area. In some cases, it can become a serious mental problem for those affected. This study was conducted to determine the frequency of nomophobia in medical students of Hayatabad, Peshawar, Pakistan. A cross-sectional study was conducted for a period of 6 months from Feb 2021-July 2021 on medical students of Hayatabad and included all 5-year MBBS students in the survey. Participants who did not own their smartphones were excluded from the study. The total sample size was 325 participants. The convenient sampling method was used for data collection. Demographic data was obtained initially, and nomophobia was assessed using the Nomophobia Questionnaire which is a 7-point Likert scale, and performed scoring and minimum score was 20, whereas the maximum possible score was 140. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 21. A total of 130 (40%) males and 195 (60%) females participated in the study. The mean age of the participants was 21.72±3.043 (years). Out of the total 325 participants, a majority (168; 51.7%) reported having moderate levels of nomophobia followed by severe levels. Only 42 (12.9%) participants reported to have mild levels of nomophobia. The current study findings showed that nomophobia is quite common in medical students. Nomophobia is a serious mental health issue and raising awareness is essential to help reduce its impact.