Vol. 8, Issue 3, Part B (2025)

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<0.05. Results: Among participants, 52.4% had moderate nomophobia and 24.0% had severe nomophobia. Regarding smartphone addiction risk, 51.9% had moderate risk and 22.9% had high risk. A strong positive correlation (r = 0.87, p<0.001) was observed between NMP-Q and SAS-SV scores. A significant association was also found between longer smartphone usage duration and greater nomophobia severity (χ² = 38.75, p<0.001). Conclusion: This study highlights a strong association between smartphone addiction and nomophobia among medical undergraduates. The high prevalence of moderate to severe nomophobia and addiction risk calls for targeted digital wellness and mental health interventions in academic settings. Awareness programs promoting responsible digital use are essential to mitigate the psychological impacts of smartphone dependency in young adults.