The Effect of Nomophobıa on Anxıety and Qualıty of Lıfe in Physıotherapy and Rehabılıtatıon Department Students

Objective. While smartphones provide convenience to individuals, they also cause many problems. One of these problems is smartphone addiction, known as nomophobia. The aim of our study is to investigate the impact of nomophobia on anxiety and quality of life among students in the Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation.. Methods. The study included 211 students enrolled at Sakarya University of Applied Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation. Participants completed a data collection form to provide their demographic characteristics. They also completed the Turkish Nomophobia Scale to assess nomophobia levels, the Beck Anxiety Scale to evaluate anxiety levels, and the SF-36 Quality of Life Scale to measure their quality of life levels. Results. In our study, the nomophobia scale score was found to be 77.28. The distribution of the nomophobia scale according to the cut-off points is 30% mild, 45% moderate, and 25% extreme. We identified a statistically significant relationship between nomophobia and anxiety (p < 0.05). Additionally, there was a statistically significant association between nomophobia and quality of life parameters, excluding vitality/energy, mental health, and social functioning (p < 0.05). However, no statistically significant relationship was found between anxiety and quality of life. Conclusion. The anxiety levels of nomophobic individuals increase in parallel with their nomophobia, leading to a decrease in their quality of life. Necessary information should be provided and awareness should be raised in order to prevent nomophobia, which is especially common in the young population.