Nomophobia and Its Relationship with Social Anxiety and Procrastination in Nursing Students: An Observational Study

Abstract

Nomophobia is a phenomenon that describes the fear of not having one’s mobile phone accessible. This study aimed to evaluate the presence of nomophobia among nursing students as well as its relationship with procrastination and social anxiety. Methods: An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of 308 nursing students. Data were collected using the Nomophobia Questionnaire, Academic Procrastination Scale-Short Form, and Social Anxiety Questionnaire for Adults. Additionally, sociodemographic variables related to academic performance and smartphone use were collected. We performed a descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analysis of the Nomophobia Questionnaire score. Results: 19.5% (n = 60) of the students presented with or were at high risk of nomophobic behaviour. Moreover, nomophobic behaviour was positively correlated with high levels of social anxiety (p < 0.001), longer daily smartphone usage time (p < 0.001), and a high frequency of smartphone checking in class (p < 0.001). The predictive variables for nomophobic behaviour included age, variables related to smartphone use, social anxiety levels, work, procrastination tendency, sex, and self-reported average grade. Conclusion: One out of five students in the sample studied presented with or were at high risk of nomophobic behaviour. Additionally, nomophobic behaviour was associated with social anxiety and variables related to smartphone use. This study was not registered.