Horizon of Medical Education Development

Horizon of Medical Education Development

The Prevalence of Nomophobia (No Mobile Phone Phobia) and its Relationship with Academic self-Handicapping in Medical Students

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
SHadi Moghadam
Elham Erfanian
Anahita KHorshidi
Hanyeh Askari
Fatemeh Hojjati
Department of clinical and health psychology, Ar.C., Islamic Azad university, Arak, Iran.
10.22038/hmed.2025.88383.1525
Abstract
Introduction: The present study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of nomophobia (no mobile phone phobia) and its relationship with academic self-handicapping in medical students.
Materials & Methods: This study is a descriptive and correlational study. The study population included smartphone users studying at the Faculty of Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Arak Branch in the academic year 2023-2024, of which 250 people were selected using stratified random sampling based on the Krejci and Morgan table. Data were collected using the Yildirim and Correa (2015) Nomophobia Questionnaire and the Schwinger and Steinsmer-Plaster (2011) Academic Self-Handicapping Questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using correlation and structural equation testing and using SPSS and PLS software.
Results: The results of the study showed that most students (59.2%) had an average level of nomophobia. The results of the correlation test showed a significant relationship between mobile phone phobia and all its components with self-handicapping (p<0.05). The results of the structural equation modeling test confirmed the direct effect of mobile phone phobia on academic self-handicapping (p<0.001). The direction of the positive relationship and the intensity of the effect were equal to 0.354, which indicated a moderate intensity of the relationship.
Conclusion: The results of the study emphasize the need to support students in the conscious, safe, and effective use of technology, prevent excessive and harmful use, conduct awareness activities, and develop/implement educational programs on the conscious and beneficial use of technology, and identify students at risk of developing technology addiction and take precautions if necessary.

Acknowledgments: We would like to thank all the officials and students who collaborated with the researchers in conducting this study.

Availability of data and materials: The data collected from the questionnaire is available.

Conflicts of interest: According to the authors, this article has no conflict of interest.

Consent for publication: Thank you for granting permission to publish.

Ethical approval and consent to participate: The present study was registered with the ethics committee of Islamic Azad University, Arak Medical Sciences Branch, under the code IR.IAU.ARAK.REC.1403.211. Prior to the administration of questionnaires, participants were informed about the study's topic and methodology. Principles of confidentiality and the privacy of personal information were explained, and informed consent was obtained. Participants were also informed that their participation in this research was entirely voluntary and that they could withdraw at any time or have their data removed from the study.The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki.

Funding: This article is derived from a research project at Islamic Azad University, Arak Medical Sciences Branch. This research did not receive any financial assistance from governmental, private, or non-profit organizations.

Authors’ Contributions: Conceptualization: Shadi Moghadam, Elham Erfanian; Data Collection and Execution, Methodology, and Draft Writing: Anahita Khorshidi, Haniyeh Askari, Fatemeh Hojjati; Supervision: Shadi Moghadam; Review and Finalization of the Text: Shadi Moghadam, Elham Erfanian.

Open Access Policy: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0), which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original author(s) and source are properly credited. To view a copy of this licence, visit.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Keywords
Nomophobia
Academic Self-Handicapping
Medical Student

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Horizon of Medical Education Development
Volume 17, Issue 4
Autumn 2026
Pages 39-50