Prevalence and associated factors of nomophobia among the medical and university students of Bangladesh

Abstract

Abstract Background Nomophobia, characterised by the dread or anxiety of being without access to a mobile phone, has become an increasing behavioural issue among young adults, especially university students. Excessive reliance on smartphones has been linked to psychological suffering, impaired everyday functioning, and negative academic results. Nonetheless, information about the prevalence and determinants of nomophobia among university students in Bangladesh is scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of nomophobia and investigate its associated sociodemographic traits and smartphone-related behaviors among medical and university students in Bangladesh. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional study was performed with 476 undergraduate medical and non-medical students from eight districts of Bangladesh from September 2023 to July 2025, using an online structured questionnaire. Nomophobia was evaluated via the validated Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q). The questionnaire was pilot-tested (n=60) and showed good reliability (Cronbach’s α=0.82). Information on socio-demographics, mobile phone usage trends, and application preferences was collected. Data was processed using STATA version 16. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression analyses were used to ascertain factors related to nomophobia. Results The average age of participants was 20.70 ± 1.52 years. 46.79% of students exhibited moderate nomophobia, whereas 25.69% had severe nomophobia. Elevated nomophobia scores were strongly correlated with female gender, moderate household income, usage of social media and communication applications, prolonged daily mobile phone usage (>7 hours), frequent phone checking, and instant phone checking upon awakening. Multiple linear regression indicated that extended phone usage, engagement with social communication applications, middle-income position, and early-morning phone checking are independent predictors of elevated nomophobia scores. Conclusion Nomophobia is significantly common among university students in Bangladesh. Behavioural patterns such as prolonged daily smartphone use, frequent phone checking, immediate phone use upon waking, and extensive engagement with social communication and media applications are associated with excessive smartphone usage and development of nomophobia. These findings underscore the necessity for awareness initiatives, early detection, and focused interventions to alleviate the adverse psychological and behavioural effects of nomophobia in students.