Relationship between nomophobia and occupational performance among university students

Introduction Nomophobia is a contemporary phobia that emerged in the digital age and is becoming increasingly common. University students are at higher risk for nomophobia. This study aims to develop an understanding of nomophobic university students' problem areas in their daily occupations. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted with 181 university students between January and March 2020. The Nomophobia Questionnaire was used to determine the students' level of nomophobia and they were separated into groups based on nomophobia severity. The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure was used to determine the students' occupational performance and satisfaction in the occupations they identified as being most problematic for them. Canadian Occupational Performance Measure scores were compared between nomophobia severity groups. Results All students in the study had some degree of nomophobia (mild = 56, moderate = 95, severe = 30). Canadian Occupational Performance Measure performance and satisfaction scores were significantly lower in students with severe nomophobia compared to the mild/moderately nomophobic students (p<.05). The occupations of greatest concern were in the areas of productivity (studying, 20.89%), self-care (sleeping, 9.87%), and leisure (doing sport, 8.23%). Conclusion This study demonstrated a relationship between nomophobia and occupational performance difficulties in university students. Occupational therapists should consider nomophobia when evaluating occupational performance difficulties in university students.