Nomophobia and associated sociodemographic factors among respiratory therapists in Saudi Arabia
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Background
Nomophobia, the fear of being without a smartphone or disconnected from mobile networks, has become a growing concern in today’s digital era, impacting mental health and professional productivity. This study assesses the prevalence of nomophobia among respiratory therapy (RT) staff in Saudi Arabia and examines sociodemographic factors associated with moderate to severe levels of nomophobia, offering insights into digital dependency within this healthcare workforce.
Methods
A nonprobability cross-sectional survey, utilizing the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q), was distributed via social media platforms to respiratory therapists (RTs) in Saudi Arabia from October 17, 2022, to January 13, 2023. Data were presented in terms of frequency and percentage, and logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with moderate to severe nomophobia.
Results
Overall, 1,001 RTs completed the online survey. The prevalence of nomophobia among RT staff was 95% (95% CI 67–94), with a mean ± SD of 56 ± 20, indicating a mild level of nomophobia among the participants. Female RT staff were one time more likely to experience moderate to severe levels of nomophobia [OR: 1.4 (95% CI 1.06–1.85); p = 0.019]. RT staff with work experience ≥ 11 years were twice as likely to experience moderate to severe levels of nomophobia [OR: 2.07 (95% CI 1.28–3.34); p = 0.003]. Staff who reported active smoking status were almost twice as likely to experience moderate to severe levels of nomophobia [(OR): 1.79 (1.24–2.60); p = 0.045]. Finally, RT staff who worked in private hospitals were one time more likely to experience moderate to severe levels of nomophobia [(OR): 1.4 (1.01–1.95); p = 0.002].
Conclusions
Nomophobia is prevalent among respiratory therapy staff in Saudi Arabia, with a majority experiencing moderate to severe levels. The identification of key sociodemographic risk factors associated with this condition underscores the need for targeted interventions and support strategies to improve both the well-being and productivity of the workforce.
Nomophobia, the fear of being without a smartphone or disconnected from mobile networks, has become a growing concern in today’s digital era, impacting mental health and professional productivity. This study assesses the prevalence of nomophobia among respiratory therapy (RT) staff in Saudi Arabia and examines sociodemographic factors associated with moderate to severe levels of nomophobia, offering insights into digital dependency within this healthcare workforce.
Methods
A nonprobability cross-sectional survey, utilizing the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q), was distributed via social media platforms to respiratory therapists (RTs) in Saudi Arabia from October 17, 2022, to January 13, 2023. Data were presented in terms of frequency and percentage, and logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with moderate to severe nomophobia.
Results
Overall, 1,001 RTs completed the online survey. The prevalence of nomophobia among RT staff was 95% (95% CI 67–94), with a mean ± SD of 56 ± 20, indicating a mild level of nomophobia among the participants. Female RT staff were one time more likely to experience moderate to severe levels of nomophobia [OR: 1.4 (95% CI 1.06–1.85); p = 0.019]. RT staff with work experience ≥ 11 years were twice as likely to experience moderate to severe levels of nomophobia [OR: 2.07 (95% CI 1.28–3.34); p = 0.003]. Staff who reported active smoking status were almost twice as likely to experience moderate to severe levels of nomophobia [(OR): 1.79 (1.24–2.60); p = 0.045]. Finally, RT staff who worked in private hospitals were one time more likely to experience moderate to severe levels of nomophobia [(OR): 1.4 (1.01–1.95); p = 0.002].
Conclusions
Nomophobia is prevalent among respiratory therapy staff in Saudi Arabia, with a majority experiencing moderate to severe levels. The identification of key sociodemographic risk factors associated with this condition underscores the need for targeted interventions and support strategies to improve both the well-being and productivity of the workforce.
Date Issued
2025-12-01
Date Acceptance
2025-02-11
Citation
Discover Psychology, 2025, 5 (1)
ISSN
2731-4537
Publisher
Springer
Journal / Book Title
Discover Psychology
Volume
5
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2025. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
11
Date Publish Online
2025-03-03