Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.24869/psyd.2023.407

PROBLEMATIC USE OF SMARTPHONE AND NOMOPHOBIA AMONG MEDICAL AND NURSING UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS OF A TERTIARY CARE REFERRAL HOSPITAL IN INDIA AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH QUALITY OF LIFE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

Dr. Rajeev Ranjan ; Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences Patna, Bihar, India
Dr. Dhritiman Das ; Junior Resident, Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangaluru, Karnataka, India
Dr. Santanu Nath ; Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Deoghar, Jharkhand, India

Abstract

Background: Overuse of smartphone amongst today’s young generation has assumed an epidemic proportion. Assessment of
severity of Nomophobia and Smartphone use related problems is important as it can help to ascertain the current adverse consequences
of Smartphone problematic use. The study aims to assess the association between smartphone dependence, nomophobia and quality of
life in undergraduate medical and nursing students in a tertiary care referral hospital cum medical institution in India.
Subjects and Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 437 medical and nursing undergraduate students, which involved
assessing their dependence for smartphone and nomophobia using the Test for Mobile Phone dependence (TMD) questionnaire brief
version and Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) respectively.
Results: The average hours spent on smartphone per day for the study population was 3.2 hours. Smartphone dependence
was found in 12% of study participants. Nearly 50% in each batch had moderate degree of nomophobia and around 13-15% had
severe nomophobia. Both smartphone dependence and nomophobia were significantly associated with each other and had significant
associations with poorer quality of life in the medical and nursing students. Preclinical medical students scored higher in all
the domains of Smartphone dependence and nomophobia questionnaire and were associated with poor quality of life compared to
other batches.
Conclusion: Excessive smartphone use is associated with poorer quality of life in medical and nursing students. More studies
in future are required that will involve various age groups and other educational streams which will add up to the existing knowledge
on technology addiction.

Keywords

Behavioural addiction; medical undergraduates; Nomophobia; Quality of life; Smartphone use; Smartphone dependence

Hrčak ID:

310668

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/310668

Publication date:

25.10.2023.

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