Abstract:
This cross-sectional descriptive study was aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with nomophobia among undergraduate students in Thailand. The 3,045 students from 9 public universities were sampled using multistage sampling technique. The data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and were analyzed using a descriptive statistic. The factors associated with nomophobia were tested using a multiple logistic regression. The results showed that majority of the respondents were female (69.6%) with the average age of 20.86 (SD=1.56) years old. The 65.4% of them have been using the smartphone for more than 4 years and the amount of time they spent of their smartphone were 4 to 8 hours per day (47.4%). The game was an application that the respondents downloaded and played on at most either when they were bored or be alone (p-value < 0.05). The findings also showed that almost all the respondent (99.5%) were nomophobia, a fear of being out smartphone contact. Among them, the 60.0% experienced the moderate nomophobia with the substantial feeling of anxiety when they did not have the smartphone to contact with their family and/or friends. When controlling the confounding factors, the significant risk factors associated with the nomophobia were in the order of game (OR = 3.383, 95% CI = 1.036-11.044), frequency of checking messages in the smartphone more than 40 times per day (OR = 2.133, 95% CI = 1.260-3.611), use of the smartphone at the dining table (OR = 1.819, 95% CI = 1.370-2.417), monthly incomes more than 10,000 baht (OR = 1.669, 95% CI = 1.144-2.501), duration of the smartphone usage greater than 8 hours per day (OR = 1.664, 95% CI = 1.135-2.439), use of the smartphone while going out with friends (OR = 1.584, 95% CI =1.181-2.125), frequency of checking messages in the smartphone from 20 to 30 times per day (OR = 1.513, 95% CI = 1.155-1.984), online chatting programs (OR = 1.476, 95% CI =1.034-2.080), group programs of humanities and social sciences (OR = 1.430, 95% CI =1.147-1.783), duration of the smartphone usage from 4 to 8 hours per day (OR = 1.420, 95% CI = 1.121-1.801), use of the smartphone in classrooms (OR = 1.382, 95% CI= 1.064-1.796), watching movies/video clips (OR = 1.330, 95% CI = 1.034-1.711) and monthly incomes 5,001-10,000 baht (OR = 1.292, 95% CI = 1.034-1.614). Family health promotion activities or measures of smartphone usage during work office-hours would be taken into consideration for preventing the nomophobia, which tend to be a passage of excessive mental health consequences, if it is severe.