Prevalence and Determinants of “No-Mobile” Phobia (Nomophobia) among University Students

HASSAN M. ALMUSA, C.A.B.F.M., AYOUB A. AL-SHAIKH, M.B.B.S.;; FAISAL SAEED AL-QAHTANI, S.B.F.M., SAFAR A. AL-SALEEM, M.D.;; RISHI K. BHATI, M.D., FATIMA RIAZ, Ph.D.;; AHMAD S. ASSIRI, M.B.B. S., SAAD AL-AMRI, M.B.B.S.;; ABDULHAKEEM A. AS SIRI, M.B.B.S., SALEH A. AL-SHAIKHI, M.B.B.S.;; SAMI H.M. ALFAIFI, M.B.B.S., ABDULLAH A. AL-ARRAFI, M.B.B.S.;; MOSTAFA, M.D., OSSAMAA.

doi:10.21608/mjcu.2019.54873

Prevalence and Determinants of “No-Mobile” Phobia (Nomophobia) among University Students

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Family & Community Medicine Department, King Khalid University*, Family Medicine Resident, Ministry of Health** and Family Medicine Specialist, King Khalid University Medical City***, Saudi Arabia

10.21608/mjcu.2019.54873

Abstract

Abstract
Background: A simple random sample was followed to include the total required study sample at study colleges for both boys and girls. In each study college, the lists of students' names with their university IDs were used to select participant students. Selected students were personally contacted by the researcher, with the help of their tutors.
Aim of Study: To identify magnitude of “no-mobile phobia” (nomophobia) among Health Sciences students at King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Subject and Methods: Following a cross-sectional study design, 625 health sciences colleges' students were included. A self-administered data collection study questionnaire was designed by the researchers, which included personal charac-teristics; mobile phone use: Duration of use of mobile phone, access to internet, average duration of daily use of the mobile phone, type of used mobile phone and the validated 20-item Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q).
Results: All participants had smartphones. Prevalence of nomophobia among students was 85.3%, with 22.1% having severe nomophobia, and 63.2% having mild nomophobia. Students of applied medical sciences had the highest percentage of severe nomophobia, while students of medicine had the lowest percentage (35. 1% and 15.8%, respectively). Nomo-phobia grades differed significantly according to study colleges (p=0.003). Percentages of students with severe nomophobia were significantly higher among those who had internet access through their personal mobile phones (p=0.017) and also among those who spend more than 2 hours daily with their mobile phones (p<0.001). However, grades of nomophobia did not differ significantly according to students' gender, or Grade Point Average (GPA).
Conclusions and Recommendations: Mobile phone addic-tion is common among undergraduate students of Health Sciences Colleges at King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia.
Health education of university students is necessary to prevent possible harmful effects of excessive use of mobile phones.

Keywords