Abstract: Background: Nomophobia, the fear of being without a mobile phone, is an emerging concern among young adults due to increasing smartphone dependence. Medical undergraduates are particularly vulnerable because of academic stress and extensive smartphone use. However, limited data are available on its prevalence and associated socio-demographic factors. This study aims to assess the prevalence of nomophobia and explore the socio-demographic factors influencing it among medical undergraduates. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care medical college in Agra from August to October 2024 among 96 MBBS undergraduate students. Participants were selected using a convenient sampling method. Data were collected using a predesigned, structured questionnaire that included sociodemographic details and the Nomophobia Questionnaire. Informed consent was obtained from all participants, and confidentiality was maintained. Data were entered and analyzed using appropriate statistical software, with results expressed as proportions and associations tested using suitable statistical tests. Results: The prevalence of nomophobia among medical students was found to be 71%. Age and residential status emerged as significant sociodemographic factors influencing nomophobia. A significantly higher proportion of students reported checking their mobile phones fewer than 20 times per day compared to those checking more than 20 times. Social media and messages were the most commonly checked contents compared to news and social media combined. In addition, a majority of students reported experiencing physical symptoms related to mobile phone use, and this association with nomophobia was found to be statistically significant. Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that age and residence in hostel facilities are significant socio-demographic factors influencing nomophobia among students. Frequent mobile phone checking (at least 20 times per day), predominant use of smartphones for social media, and the presence of physical symptoms related to phone usage were also significantly associated with nomophobia. These findings underscore the growing impact of smartphone dependence among medical students and highlight the need for awareness and preventive strategies to promote healthier mobile phone usage.
Agrawal et al. (Thu,) studied this question.