Nomophobia Levels of University Students: A Comparative Study

Abstract

There is growing concern about the influence of nomophobia among the majority of young people, attributed to excessive mobile phone use. This study aims to investigate the nomophobia levels of Azerbaijani and Kyrgyz university students. The Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) was employed as the data collection tool. Data were collected from participants during the spring term of the 2021-2022 academic year. A total of 478 students participated: 238 from Azerbaijan and 240 from Kyrgyzstan. Results indicated that Azerbaijani and Kyrgyz students exhibit different nomophobia behaviors. While 36.1% of Azeri students experience a severe level of nomophobia, 23.3% of Kyrgyz students do. Female students in both countries are more affected than their male counterparts. Younger students are also more susceptible to nomophobia. Moreover, smartphone ownership significantly influences students' nomophobia behavior in both Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan.