Dependence on smartphone: A cross-sectional study among undergraduate medical students in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Bareilly

Abstract

Background: The ubiquity of smartphones has transformed daily life, especially among students. However, excessive smartphone use has been linked to reduced attention span, academic decline, and psychological disturbances including nomophobia, the fear of being without a mobile phone. This study explores the association between nomophobia and smartphone addiction among undergraduate medical students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 420 undergraduate medical students at a tertiary care institution in Bareilly, India, from February to March 2025. Participants were selected using stratified random sampling. Data was collected via Google Forms using a structured questionnaire comprising socio-demographic data, the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q), and the Smartphone Addiction Scale - Short Version (SAS-SV). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS v26, with significance set at p