Internal consistency and structural validity of the nomophobia questionnaire (NMP-Q) and its translations: A systematic review with meta-analysis

Global research evidence on nomophobia during 2008-2022: a bibliometric analysis and review

Nomophobia, often known as a 21st-century disorder, is a recent condition that has received considerable attention, with numerous studies conducted to better understand it since it was first introduced in 2008. To better understand the present research status and prospects to assist practitioners, policymakers, and funding agencies in protecting the population from nomophobia-related harm, a bibliometric study of nomophobia-related publications was conducted. We used Scopus and dimensions.ai to perform a search between 2008 and 2022. The HistCite, R software, and VOSviewer were used to analyze the data and extract relevant keywords indexed in medical databases using mesh heading phrases. Between January 2008 and April 2022, 1,781 papers, 30 datasets, two grants, six patents, four clinical trials, and five policy documents were identified. The bulk of the articles included in this review were published after 2017 with the majority written in English. Most of the research focuses on determining the prevalence of nomophobia in various populational groups, such as students, clinical samples, and the general adult population. Several studies examined the possible association between nomophobia symptoms and other psychiatric or physical health issues, such as changes in sleep, learning and attention, academic performance, coping strategies, etc. The current body of research knowledge of nomophobia in the main includes epidemiologic and diagnostic effort that has provided mixed results regarding its assessment and prevalence rates, and appreciable data on its treatment and prevention are lacking.

Nomophobia and Its Association with Depression, Anxiety and Stress (DASS Scale), among Young Adults in Greece

Smartphones with their numerous applications have become essential daily equipment, prompting scientific research to deal with the impact of their use on psychosocial health. Under this spectrum, the aim of the present cross-sectional study was to examine the association between nomophobia and the negative emotional states of depression, anxiety, and stress, in relation to self-esteem and sociodemographic data, among the young adult population. The study sample consisted of 1408 young adults aged 18-25 years, participating on a voluntary basis with an online anonymous questionnaire. Data were collected through the "Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q)", "Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-short form (DASS-21)", and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). The questionnaire also included socio-demographic characteristics and smartphone use variables. Data analysis showed that women were identified with severe depression and stress to a greater extent than men (63.3% vs. 55.1% for depression and 18.1% vs. 13.8% for stress scale). With respect to nomophobia, participants with severe levels of nomophobia also exhibited severe levels of negative emotional states in all DASS components, i.e., 40.6% in depression, 73.7% in anxiety, and 32.7% in stress (all p values < 0.001). Participants with severe levels of depression and anxiety were very often checking their phone and used it in all daily activities. Moreover, correlation analysis revealed that self-esteem had a moderating effect on the relationship between nomophobia and DASS, a fact that modifies the association between the involved variables: stronger relationships appeared between nomophobia and DASS components in individuals with normal/high self-esteem than in individuals with low self-esteem.

Impact of Nomophobia on Musculoskeletal Problems in the Upper Extremity among Adults: Implications for Occupational Therapy

Nomophobia (NO MObile PHone Phobia) is a psychological condition in which people are anxious of being cut off from their mobile phones and been associated with adverse consequences to physical and psychosocial health. The objective of this study was to measure the impact of nomophobia on musculoskeletal problems in the upper extremity among adults. The Nomophobia scale (NMP-Q) was used to measure addiction to smartphone use among 5,087 Middle Eastern adults. A snowball sampling approach was used to recruit the participants between March and June 2021. Results showed that nomophobia was evident in 1,119 participants (22%) with a mean NMP-Q score of 114.1 (SD 11.1). A total of 3,396 upper extremity symptoms were reported among our participants. The binomial logistic regression showed that NMP-Q score is a significant predictor of symptoms to the thumb only (β = 0.01, p = .026). This study has provided evidence of the negative physical consequences of addiction to smartphone use. Participants with thumb-related symptoms were more prone to sustain other concurrent upper extremity symptoms, probably due to their maladaptive habits of using the phone. Thus, it is important to increase awareness about the risks associated with the use of smartphones. Implications for occupational therapy are presented.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Correlation Coefficients between Nomophobia and Anxiety, Smartphone Addiction, and Insomnia Symptoms

Nomophobia is an emerging phenomenon in the 21st century. Consequently, it results in various health problems, both physical and psychological. The following systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to establish the relationship between nomophobia with anxiety, smartphone addiction, and insomnia. To identify the relevant studies, we searched through several databases. Out of the 1523 studies identified, 16 studies met the inclusion criteria. After conducting the statistical analysis, the results revealed that anxiety r = 0.31 (95% CI: 0.25 to 0.38), smartphone addiction r = 0.39 (95% CI: 0.04 to 0.75), and insomnia r = 0.56 (95% CI: 0.38 to 0.75) are positively associated with nomophobia. Mobile phone usage has become inevitable, even for individuals who use it to a lesser degree than others, to perform simple tasks, such as communicating with others or for educational purposes. It is crucial to raise awareness about the consequences of overusing these devices, including the physical and psychological complications in both the short and long terms.

The Relationship between Nomophobia, Insomnia, Chronotype, Phone in Proximity, Screen Time, and Sleep Duration in Adults: A Mobile Phone App-Assisted Cross-Sectional Study

Earlier studies that have investigated the association between nomophobia and insomnia revealed that a strong relationship exists between both variables. This study aimed to explore possible associations between these variables and their impact on physical and mental health outcomes using a cross-sectional study design and mobile phone apps to collect data. Using a survey approach, data were collected from 444 participants (52% female, mean age 34 ± 12) using the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q), the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) and three Android mobile phone apps. The Plees Tracker, screen time, and pedometer apps aided in collecting data on sleep duration, time spent on screen per day, and how close the phone was to the person. A statistically significant association was noted between nomophobia and insomnia, nomophobia and the eveningness chronotype, and nomophobia and screen time. The eveningness chronotype was also associated with an increased screen time use. The results show that NMP-Q, ISI, and screen time increase according to the chronotype. No statistically significant differences were noted in daily steps or sleep duration according to chronotype. The findings suggest that interventions targeting nomophobia may be beneficial in addressing insomnia among adults, particularly those with an evening chronotype. Future studies should consider exploring the causal relationship between them.