- Extremely high prevalence of nomophobia among health sciences students: 96.6%, with moderate (45.3%) and severe (26.1%) categories most common.
- Insomnia symptoms affected 71.4% of participants, mainly subthreshold severity (46.3%), mean ISI score 10.86 ± 5.7.
- Nomophobia severity correlated weakly but significantly with insomnia (Spearman's rho 0.290); each 10-point rise in NMP-Q increased adjusted odds of insomnia by 20%.
Public Health Chall. 2026 Oct 14;5(4):e70419. doi: 10.1002/puh2.70419. eCollection 2026 Dec.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Nomophobia is a behavioral condition characterized by fear or anxiety resulting from inability to access mobile phones. Excessive smartphone use has been associated with psychological and sleep-related disturbances. University students, particularly health sciences students, may be especially vulnerable due to academic stress and high digital exposure.
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of nomophobia and insomnia symptoms among health sciences students and to assess the association between nomophobia severity and insomnia symptom severity.
METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among undergraduate health sciences students at Batterjee Medical College (BMC), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using a structured electronic questionnaire including sociodemographic variables, the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q), and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). A total of 702 participants were included. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test, Spearman’s rank correlation, and binary logistic regression analysis were performed.
RESULTS: The mean nomophobia score was 77.21 ± 31.7. Overall, 96.6% of participants demonstrated nomophobia, with moderate nomophobia being the most prevalent category (45.3%), followed by severe nomophobia (26.1%). The mean insomnia score was 10.86 ± 5.7, and 71.4% of participants exhibited elevated insomnia symptoms, predominantly at the subthreshold level (46.3%). A statistically significant association was observed between nomophobia and insomnia symptoms (p < 0.001). Using continuous total scores, a weak positive correlation was identified between nomophobia severity and insomnia symptom severity (Spearman’s ρ = 0.290, p < 0.001). Female gender was significantly associated with higher nomophobia prevalence (p = 0.014). In multivariable logistic regression analysis treating nomophobia as a continuous predictor, each 10-point increase in NMP-Q score was associated with significantly higher adjusted odds of insomnia symptoms (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13-1.27, p < 0.001) after adjustment for sociodemographic factors.
CONCLUSION: Nomophobia and insomnia symptoms are highly prevalent among health sciences students. A weak but statistically significant association was observed; however, the cross-sectional design and convenience sampling warrant cautious interpretation. These findings highlight the need for interventions promoting healthy smartphone use and sleep hygiene.
PMID:42877811 | PMC:PMC13665634 | DOI:10.1002/puh2.70419
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