Author(s): Nongmaithem Premlata Devi1 Poushali Chakraborty2 Meghna Rath Prachishree P. Parida2 Mrunal Ray2 Poulami Pakhira2 Payel Maity2 Poulami Maity2 Pallabi Pal2 Mousumi Pal2 Malyashree Roy Sil2, Pr Navdeep Samal2.
Email(s): npremalatadevi@gmail.com
Author Details : 1 Professor Cum HOD Obstetrics & Gynaecological Nursing Department, School of Nursing,
DRIEMS University, Tangi, Cuttack
2 B.Sc (N) students, School of Nursing, DRIEMS University. Tangi Cuttack
Published In: Volume – 3, Issue – 1, Year – 2025 (JAN-JUN)
How to cite this article?
Nongmaithem PD, Chakraborty P, Rath M, Parida PP, Ray M, Pakhira P, Maity P, Pal P, Pal M, Malyashree, Roy Sil, Samal N. Evaluate the pattern of mobile phone usage and its impact on psychological health and academic performance among nursing students in selected nursing colleges, Cuttack. Int J Adv Res Med Nurs Health Sci [Internet]. 2025 Jan-Jun [cited 2025 Jun 26];3(3):1-13. Available from: www.ijarmnhs.in
“EVALUATE THE PATTERN OF MOBILE PHONE USAGE AND ITS IMPACT ON PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG NURSING STUDENTS IN SELECTED NURSING COLLEGES, CUTTACK”
Nongmaithem Premlata Devi1 Poushali Chakraborty2 Meghna Rath Prachishree P. Parida2 Mrunal Ray2 Poulami Pakhira2 Payel Maity2 Poulami Maity2 Pallabi Pal2 Mousumi Pal2 Malyashree Roy Sil2, Pr Navdeep Samal2.
1 Professor Cum HOD Obstetrics & Gynaecological Nursing Department, School of Nursing,
DRIEMS University, Tangi, Cuttack
2 B.Sc (N) students, School of Nursing, DRIEMS University. Tangi Cuttack
Corresponding author email id: npremalatadevi@gmail.com
ABSTRACT:
In today’s world, very few people do not own or use a mobile phone. Mobiles have become a priority in everyone’s life, with people using them daily for communication, business, and various other activities. The mobile phone has profoundly transformed individual lives, but it also has negative effects. Constant use and addiction to cell phones have impacted people physically, psychologically, and socially. Objectives: The aim of this study is to examine the patterns of mobile phone usage among nursing students and to evaluate its effects on their psychological well-being and academic performance. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional research design was adopted, and 200 B.Sc Nursing students were randomly selected as participants.For data collection, a Self-structured questionnaire was used to assess mobile phone usage patterns, psychological health, and academic performance. The data was analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics such as percentage distribution, and chi-square test. Results: The majority i.e. 121(60.5%) feel that smartphone negatively affects daily work performance and experience stress due to prolonged use of mobile. The majority of students use mobile phones for 4-5 hrs. per day and also tend to check messages frequently while studying. The association test was done on the duration of mobile phone use per day with the deprivation of study habits and was found to be greater than the table value at a 0.05% level of significance which implies that there is a significant relationship between them. Conclusion: This study revealed that mobile phone use is widespread among nursing students. It is crucial to examine how mobile phone use impacts mental health and academic performance. While mobile phones offer both benefits and drawbacks, using them responsibly is essential for promoting overall health and well-being in society.
Keywords: Mobile phone. pattern of mobile phone usage, addiction, psychological, and academic performance.
Introduction:
Over the past few decades, mobile phones have become an integral part of everyday life, even for young children. Their popularity has surpassed that of other media devices, thanks to their small size, ease of portability, ability to stream content, interactive functions, and affordability [Shah Saumya Amin-2023].
Mobile phones serve a variety of functions, including browsing the internet, making phone calls, listening to music, accessing social media platforms, sharing photos and videos, conducting banking transactions, shopping online, using GPS for navigation and location-based services, making video calls, and utilizing payment applications[Fu Kate,2023].
In the modern era, it is rare to find someone without a mobile phone or not using one. Mobile phones have become an essential part of daily life, widely used for communication, business, and various other activities. They have significantly transformed the way individuals live and interact. Mobile phones offer several benefits for students, such as enabling communication with family and friends, supporting learning, providing access to academic information, allowing quick information retrieval during class, and assisting in completing and submitting assignments. However, despite these advantages, mobile phones also come with certain drawbacks. These include classroom distractions from ringing phones, loss of focus, accessing inappropriate online content, playing games and watching videos during study time, time wastage, and the sharing of unsuitable images and messages[Abbas Nargis, Aashiq Uzma et al,2020].
According to a 2023 survey by ASER conducted after the post-COVID period, approximately 90% of young people now own a smartphone. Among those capable of using smartphones, nearly two-thirds utilized them for educational purposes, such as watching study-related online videos, clarifying doubts, or sharing notes [Gohain Manash Pratim, 2024]. Globally, the number of smartphone users has reached around 5.22 billion, representing 66.6% of the world’s population, and this figure is expected to increase by hundreds of millions in the coming years. The highest ownership is seen among individuals aged 18 to 29, with 96% using smartphones, followed by 92% in the 30 to 49 age group (Silver L, Huang C,2019)
Modern operating systems like Android and various educational apps designed for professional courses have proven to be beneficial for students. However, on the downside, mobile phones also present the risk of psychological dependency. Recent studies have highlighted a connection between excessive smartphone use, internet addiction, and the presence of psychiatric disorders, indicating a concerning co-morbidity among these issues.[Naidu RD Ramesh,2021].
Need For The Study
Globally, it is estimated that there are around 5.22 billion smartphone users, representing 66.6% of the world’s population, and this number is projected to increase by hundreds of millions in the coming years. The highest smartphone ownership is observed among individuals aged 18 to 29, with 96% usage, followed by 92% in the 30 to 49 age group. The term Nomophobia refers to the official name for smartphone addiction, characterized by the fear or anxiety of being without access to a mobile phone [Machado Joyce,2023].
With mobile phones playing such a central role in daily life—through constant texting, calling, listening to music, gaming, or simply as a source of entertainment—many individuals feel anxious or paranoid when their phones are not within reach. Some researchers have suggested that excessive mobile phone use could be an indicator of underlying depression. Factors such as the total time spent on phones each week, the proportion of time used for social interaction, and the percentage of time spent on positive activities are key indicators that may contribute to mobile phone addiction. As of September 2024, India had over 1.19 billion telephone subscribers, including both fixed-line and mobile users. The country offers some of the lowest call rates globally, thanks to intense competition among numerous major telecom providers. Additionally, India ranks second in the world for internet usage, with more than 949.21 million broadband subscribers [Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, 2025]. Despite its many benefits, communication technology also has some downsides. Continuous use and addiction to mobile phones have impacted individuals physically, mentally, and socially. Overuse of mobile devices has been linked to various health issues, including reduced concentration, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, a warm sensation near the ear, skin irritation on the face, increased stress, disrupted sleep from nighttime phone use, and feelings of frustration [Gupta Naveenta, 2016].
Many users develop a strong emotional dependence on their mobile phones, feeling as though they cannot live without them. Research by Igarashi et al. (2008) has highlighted the harmful effects of excessive mobile phone use on students’ physical and mental well-being. Prolonged exposure to mobile phones has also been linked to the development of brain tumors. From a psychological perspective, communication technology can diminish social connections and overall well-being, contributing to feelings of loneliness, depression, and isolation. According to Beydokhti et al., the use of information and communication technology among both adults and youth can result in social anxiety and sleep-related problems [Akashe Zahra Babadi et al. 2014]
Texting, emailing, browsing the internet, and using social media often lead students to multitask, which negatively impacts their academic performance [Rather and Khazer (2019)]. Studies on the influence of smartphones on students’ academic outcomes have shown that excessive use shifts their focus away from educational tasks to non-academic ones, ultimately leading to poorer academic results [Kibona and Mgaya, 2015].
Engaging in activities such as texting, emailing, internet browsing, and using social networking platforms encourages students to multitask, which can hinder their academic performance [Rather and Khazer (2019)]. Research on smartphone usage and its impact on students’ education reveals that frequent use often distracts them from academic responsibilities, resulting in decreased academic achievement [Kariya Viren B,2019].
Numerous studies have explored the health impacts of mobile phone use among children and adolescents. Therefore, the researcher recognized the importance of examining the usage patterns of mobile phones and their associated health effects among nursing students.
Materials and Methods :
A cross-sectional survey design was employed to explore the pattern of smartphone usage and its effects on the psychological well-being and academic performance of nursing students. Data were collected from 200 nursing students, with the nursing college selected through purposive sampling and the participants chosen using a convenience sampling method. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to assess the pattern of smartphone usage, items about assessing psychological health problem, and academic performance. The collected data was organized, tabulated & analysis by using descriptive and Inferential statistics.
RESULTS:
Sample Characteristics: A total of 209 adolescents were screened for smartphone addiction. The distribution of the nursing students regarding pattern of mobile phone usages according to their age shows that about (52%) of nursing student belonged to the age group (20-22) years, (40.5%) belonged to the age group (17-19) years and 07% belongs to the age group (23-25) years respectively. Nearly 68(34 %) belong to urban & 132 (66 %) belong to rural residential areas. Under gender, nearly 170 (85%) were female, & 30 (15 %) were male. Regarding family annual income, majority of family has annual incomes of 3-5lakhs (80%) followed by <3lakhs (11.5 %) , 5-7lakhs (4%) and >7lakhs (6,5%) respectively.
Table 1: Frequency and Percentage distribution on the pattern of mobile phone usage
N=200
| Sl.no | FREQUENCY | PERCENTAGE | |
| 1 | Number of mobile phone usage | ||
| 1 | 183 | 91.5 | |
| 2 | 10 | 5 | |
| 3 | 07 | 3.5 | |
| 2 | Duration of usage of mobile phones | ||
| <3 years | 101 | 50.5 | |
| 3-4 Years | 67 | 33.5 | |
| Above 4 years | 32 | 32 | |
| 3 | Type of Phone | ||
| Keypad | 7 | 3.5 | |
| Android | 181 | 90.5 | |
| Both | 12 | 06 | |
| 4 | Duration of mobile phone use per day | ||
| <4 hrs. | 29 | 14.5 | |
| 4-5 Hrs. | 151 | 75.5 | |
| Above 5hrs. | 20 | 10 | |
| 5 | Often use mobile phone for | ||
| Call | 36 | 18 | |
| SMS | 5 | 2.5 | |
| Social Media | 50 | 25 | |
| Study | 101 | 50.5 | |
| Games | 8 | 4 | |
| 6 | Prefer to use mobile operator service | ||
| Airtel | 69 | 34.5 | |
| Jio | 111 | 55.5 | |
| VI | 11 | 5.5 | |
| Other | 9 | 4.5 | |
| 7 | Scheme use for mobile service | ||
| Postpaid | 102 | 51 | |
| Prepaid | 98 | 49 | |
| 8 | Source of information for mobile operator | ||
| Advertisement | 20 | 10 | |
| Sales promotion | 6 | 4 | |
| Direct selling | 44 | 22 | |
| Friends and relatives | 130 | 65 | |
| 9 | Frequency of changing mobile phone | ||
| Every other year | 7 | 3.5 | |
| Every other month | 4 | 2 | |
| When the phone breaks down | 189 | 94.5 | |
| 10 | The time of maximum use of mobiles mostly | ||
| Morning | 28 | 14 | |
| Night | 114 | 57 | |
| Evening | 48 | 24 | |
| Afternoon | 10 | 5 | |
| 11 | Take your mobile phone at the time of sleep | ||
| Yes | 81 | 40.5 | |
| No | 119 | 59.5 | |
| 12. | While studying, feel the urge to check your phone repeatedly | ||
| Yes | 125 | 62.5 | |
| No | 75 | 37.5 | |
| 13 | You always carry a mobile phone when going out | ||
| Yes | 163 | 81.5 | |
| No | 37 | 18.5 | |
| 14. | Have a try schedule or control the use of a mobile phone | ||
| Yes | 150 | 75 | |
| No | 50 | 25 |
The data presented in table-1 is regarding students’ patterns on mobile phone usage, it was seen that the majority, 183(91.5%) students use only 1 number of mobile phone.90.5% of students use android phone, majority 151(75.5%) use mobile phone for 4-5hrs per day. The main smartphone usage was for study, 101(50.5%) followed by media50(25%). Most use of smartphone was in the night 141(57%). Majority 119 (96.5%) don’t take mobile phone at the time of sleep. Around 163(81.5%) carry mobile phones while going out and 150(75%) students have tried to control mobile phone use.
Table: 2 Frequency and percentage distribution of psychological health related to mobile usage
N=200
| Sl.no | FREQUENCY | PERCENTAGE | |
| 1 | Do you think you are addicted to smart phone? | ||
| Yes | 58 | 29 | |
| No | 142 | 61 | |
| 2 | Does your smart phone use negatively affect your daily work performance? | ||
| Yes | 79 | 39.5 | |
| No | 121 | 60.5 | |
| 3 | Do you lose your time when you use smart phone? | ||
| Yes | 171 | 85.5 | |
| No | 29 | 14.5 | |
| 4 | Do you feel stress due to prolonged use of mobile? | ||
| Yes | 121 | 60.5 | |
| No | 79 | 39.5 | |
| 5. | Do you aware that mobile phone usages has many health problems like cardiac problem, hearing problems & infertility? | ||
| Yes | 156 | 78 | |
| No | 44 | 22 | |
| 6 | Has your mobile phone usages affected the relation among your family members? | ||
| Yes | 50 | 25 | |
| No | 150 | 75 | |
| 7. | Did you feel accessibility to stress due to mobile phone usage? | ||
| Not all all | 89 | 44.5 | |
| A little | 102 | 51 | |
| Very much | 09 | 4.5 | |
| 8 | Have you ever been frustration when your dearest person doesn’t receive the call? | ||
| Not all all | 48 | 24 | |
| A little | 85 | 42.5 | |
| Very much | 87 | 43.5 | |
| 9 | Have you thrown mobile while in angry mood? | ||
| Not all all | 153 | 76.5 | |
| Sometimes | 40 | 20 | |
| Most of the time | 07 | 3.5 | |
| 10 | What would you prefer on a stressful day? | ||
| Talk to your family | 163 | 81.5 | |
| Call them on phone | 29 | 14.5 | |
| Send messages to them | 08 | 4 | |
| 11. | What would you do if your phone broke down? | ||
| Buy a new phone immediately | 30 | 15 | |
| Try to live without a phone | 48 | 24 | |
| Wait for some time before buying a new phone. | 122 | 61 |
The above table 2 illustrates students’ psychological health of mobile usage among nursing students, the majority 142 (61%) think that they are addicted to smartphones.121(60.5% students feel that smartphone use negatively affects their daily work performance. Maximum 121(60.5%) experience stress due to prolonged use of mobile. Majority of 156 (78%) students were aware of health problem due to mobile phone usage, and 150 (75%) felt that mobile phone usage does not affect the relation among family members. Majority 102 (51%) feel the accessibility to stress due to mobile phone usage. Majority 163 (81.5%) prefer to speak to their family member on a stressful day. In case of phone break down , majority 122(61%) students wait for sometime before buying new phone.
Table 3: Frequency and Percentage distribution on academic performance related to mobile phone usage
N=200
| Sl.no | FREQUENCY | PERCENTAGE | |
| 1 | Are you regularly attending the classes? | ||
| Yes | 193 | 96.5 | |
| No | 07 | 3.5 | |
| 2 | Are you satisfied with the performance of the internal grades? | ||
| Yes | 124 | 62 | |
| No | 76 | 38 | |
| 3 | Are you declining in concentration and study habits? | ||
| Yes | 131 | 65.5 | |
| No | 69 | 34.5 | |
| 4 | Do you wake up late in the morning? | ||
| Yes | 109 | 54.5 | |
| No | 91 | 45.5 | |
| 5 | Do you arrive late for the class? | ||
| Yes | 28 | 14 | |
| No | 172 | 86 | |
| 6 | Does a mobile phone provide any help in the study? | ||
| Yes | 193 | 96.5 | |
| No | 07 | 3.5 | |
| 7 | Did your mind get distracted by receiving calls during your studies? | ||
| Yes | 131 | 65.5 | |
| No | 69 | 34.5 | |
| 8 | Did you read and text message during class? | ||
| Yes | 80 | 40 | |
| No | 120 | 60 | |
| 9 | Does the use of smartphones keep the students from reaching out to their lectures? | ||
| Yes | 117 | 58.5 | |
| No | 83 | 41.5 | |
| 10 | Do smartphones help academically in doing research assignments and preparing notes? | ||
| Yes | 185 | 92.5 | |
| No | 15 | 7.5 |
The data in Table 3 describe the academic performance of students related to mobile phone usage. The majority of 193 (96.5%) students are regularly attending the class, and 124 (62%) are satisfied with the performance of the internal grades. The majority of the students i.e. 131 (65.5) declined in concentration and study habits. 109 (54.5%) students wake up late in the morning. The majority of 172(86%) students reached college in time for classes, and 193(96.5%) say that mobile help in study. 131(61.5%) minds are distracted due to messages and calls. 185(92.5%) agreed that smartphones help in research study and writing assignments.
Table 4: Association between duration of mobile phone usage per day and their study habits among B.Sc. (N) students.
| Duration of mobile phone use per day | Deprived of Study Habits | Total | |
| yes | no | ||
| <3hrs | 14 | 32 | 46 |
| 4-5hrs | 50 | 24 | 74 |
| >5hrs | 67 | 13 | 80 |
| 131 | 69 | 200 | |
Chi- square test = 6.9497, df = 2 , p value= 0.030966 at level of significance0.05%
Table –4. The chi-square values computed for the duration of mobile phone use per day with the deprivation of study habits were found to be lesser than the table value at 0.05% level of significance which implies that there is significant relationship between them.
Discussion
In the present study, distribution of nursing students regarding pattern of mobile phone usages according to their age shows that about (52%) of nursing student belonged to the age group(20-22) years, (40.5%) belonged to the age group (17-19) years and 07% belongs to the age group (23-25) years respectively. Nearly 68(34 %) belong to urban & 132 (66 %) belong to rural residential area. Students’ patterns on mobile phone usage showed that the majority, 183(91.5%) students use only 1 number of mobile phone. 90.5% of students use an Android phone, majority 151(75.5%) use a mobile phone for 4- 5 hours per day. The majority of the students i.e. 131 (65.5) declined in concentration and study habits. 109 (54.5%) students wake up late in the morning. 131(61.5%) minds are distracted due to messages and calls. 185(92.5%) agreed that smartphones help in research study and writing assignments.
The study conducted by Joyce Machado, Radhika R. Pai et al (2023) found that a majority of participants, 243 (90.0%), were using 4G-enabled phones. Around 88 participants (32.6%) reported using their smartphones for less than two hours at a stretch each day. The highest frequency of smartphone use occurred at night, as reported by 155 participants (57.4%). Entertainment was identified as the primary purpose for smartphone use by 213 participants (78.9%). Furthermore, 196 participants (72.6%) showed a moderate level of smartphone addiction. Regarding health complaints, 109 participants (40.2%) experienced headaches, while 83 (30.6%) reported eye strain.
Conclusion:
The study concludes that identifying smartphone usage patterns is crucial to preventing the consequences of addiction and the associated health problems. And also observed that many nursing students excessively and inappropriately use mobile phones during late-night hours and in classrooms, often prioritizing them over traditional methods for studying and research. Given the high prevalence of mobile phone usage among college students, its impact on mental health, sleep, academic performance, and the environment warrants discussion, and judicious use should be recommended. The following recommendations are proposed to help adolescent students use mobile phones more effectively: organizing training sessions for both students and teachers on utilizing mobile phones for educational purposes, along with conducting awareness programs for parents. Schools should encourage students to follow a structured schedule for using smart classrooms and tablet devices. The study concluded that recognizing smartphone usage patterns is essential to prevent potential addiction and related health issues.
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