Evaluation of factors strongly associated with nomophobia using structural equation modelling: A cross-sectional...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Digital Health

Background:

• Nomophobia (fear of being without a smartphone) and netlessphobia (fear of being without internet) are growing concerns, causing significant distress.
• Previous research on nomophobia's associated factors has yielded inconsistent results, highlighting a need for further investigation.
• Few studies have assessed nomophobia in the general population, and no prior research has examined both nomophobia and netlessphobia concurrently.

Purpose of the Study:

• This study aimed to identify key factors strongly associated with nomophobia.
• The research intended to provide insights for reducing the negative consequences of nomophobia.
• This study evaluated the relationship between netlessphobia and nomophobia in a general population sample.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted with 523 participants.
• Data were collected using the 'Demographic Characteristics Form', 'Fırat Nomophobia Scale', and 'Fırat Netlessphobia Scale'.
• Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the data, with SPSS 26 and AMOS 23 software.

Main Results:

• Netlessphobia was found to be the most significant factor associated with nomophobia, explaining 91% of the variance.
• Age was also identified as a significant contributing factor, accounting for 15% of the variance.
• Other variables like gender, marital status, education, daily usage time, and daily checks were included in the model.

Conclusions:

• Netlessphobia and age are strongly associated with nomophobia.
• These findings underscore the significant impact of internet access and age on smartphone anxiety.
• The study provides a foundation for developing targeted interventions to mitigate nomophobia and netlessphobia.