Nomophobia and its predictors in undergraduate students of Lahore, Pakistan

Increasing rates of smartphone use in Pakistani undergraduate students, coupled with a dearth of research, indicate a need for a better understanding of the effects of Smartphone use on this population. This cross-sectional study therefore aimed to measure rates of nomophobia and its predictors among this understudied population. A total of 138 undergraduate students of a private university in Lahore, Pakistan completed a demographics questionnaire and the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) as part of a larger study. All students reported some level of nomophobia, with the largest proportion reporting moderate levels. Gender differences were seen in NMP-Q scores, with women reporting greater levels of nomophobia, specifically within the “Not being able to communicate” subscale of the NMP-Q. Multiple linear regression indicated that, while hours of usage per day, number of times per day checking phone, and amount of time in university were all correlated with NMP-Q scores, however, the only significant predictor was hours of usage per day [R = .331, R(2) = .109, F (3, 116) = 4.748, p < .05]. The results of this study indicate that, as use of smartphones continues to increase in this developing nation, monitoring nomophobia and its correlates is of great importance, and carries with it implications at the societal and university policy levels.