Association Between Younger Age and Higher Scores in Nomophobia and Problematic Internet Use: A Cross-Sectional Analysis
Cesar Copaja-Corzo, Rodrigo Flores-Palacios, Cielo A. Estela-Fernandez, Sandra Pajares-Centeno, Brayan Miranda-Chavez, Javier Flores-CohailaIntroduction
The widespread use of smartphones and digital platforms has increased the risk of technological addictions among university students. This study aimed to determine the inverse association between age and the severity of nomophobia and problematic internet use among health sciences students.
Methods
Cross-sectional analytical study conducted among health sciences students (medicine, dentistry, and medical technology) at a university in Peru. We evaluated the inverse association between age factors and scores from the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) and the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIU-Q) using crude and adjusted linear regression models.
Results
We included 502 health sciences students, 59.2% of whom were women, with a median age of 21 (interquartile range: 19 to 23) years. The prevalence of moderate to severe nomophobia was 59.3%, and the median PIU-Q score was 41 (IQR: 34–50). Multivariable linear regression confirmed that younger age was significantly associated with higher severity: students aged 17–20 years had higher NMP-Q scores (βa: 11.0; 5.7 to 16.0) and higher PIU-Q scores (βa:3.4; 1.0 to 5.8) compared to those over 23 years.
Conclusion
There is a significant inverse association between age and the severity of nomophobia and problematic internet use. These findings suggest that age factors are critical in digital health, requiring targeted interventions for younger smartphone users to mitigate addictive behaviors.