ASSESSMENT OF NOMOPHOBIA AMONG DENTAL STUDENTS IN UMM AL-QURA UNIVERSITY

Marghalani Abdullah A, Yazeed Almatrafi, Waheeb Noorelahi, Mohammed Alsaedi, Mushael Almadani, Maysa’a Khojah

ABSTRACT

The mobile phone is becoming more integrated into various aspects of daily life, leading to widespread use and dependence. Aim: To assess the severity of nomophobia and the consequences of smartphone use among dental students in Umm Al-Qura University. Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. Data was collected via an online validated survey instrument, namely The Nomophobia Questionnaire. Additional questions were added regarding consequences of smartphone use. The sample was recruited from Umm Al-Qura University dental students. For analysis, t-test was used to compare nomophobia score with selected variables; spearman test was used to estimate the correlation between nomophobia and lifestyle factors. Results: About 263 (75%) participants responded to the sent survey instrument. About 230 (87.45%) had moderate to severe nomophobia. Total nomophobia scores were significantly higher in males, P = 0.02, and the ones who check their phones every 20 minutes or less, P = 0.03. There was no significant difference between subjects who were in pre-clinical versus clinical years, P = 0.71, and who had higher number of phone applications P = 0.59. There is a significant correlation between nomophobia and lifestyle factors including decreased sleep, reduced physical activity, fast food consumption, weight gain, lower academic performance and less exercise. Conclusions: The study showed that three-quarter of the selected dental professionals had moderate to severe nomophobia. Also, nomophobia was linked by the study subjects to adverse lifestyle habits.

DOI : 10.62610/RJOR.2025.3.17.10