Psychometric Evaluation of the Nomophobia Questionnaire among Iranian Adolescents

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to validate the psychometric properties of the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) among Iranian adolescents. Nomophobia, the fear of being without a mobile phone, is becoming a significant concern for adolescents, affecting their mental health and well-being.

Methods and Materials: This descriptive-correlation study targeted high school students in Western Tehran during the 2024-2025 academic year. A total of 225 adolescents were selected through cluster sampling from randomly chosen schools. Data collection involved administering the Nomophobia Questionnaire, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Adolescent Cyber Psychological Pathology Questionnaire. The psychometric evaluation was conducted using content validity ratio (CVR), content validity index (CVI), construct validity, and reliability (Cronbach’s alpha) analyses, performed in SPSS-26 and AMOS for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).

Findings: Results indicated that the Nomophobia Questionnaire demonstrated strong psychometric properties with satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.849) and excellent content validity (CVR > 0.75; CVI > 0.79). Confirmatory factor analysis showed good fit indices (CMIN/DF = 2.085, CFI = 0.981). Significant correlations were found between nomophobia and cyber pathology (r = 0.210, p < 0.05), supporting the questionnaire's convergent validity.

Conclusion: The Nomophobia Questionnaire is a reliable and valid tool for assessing nomophobia in Iranian adolescents. This validated tool can be used for future research and intervention programs aimed at addressing mobile phone dependence and improving mental health among adolescents. Further research should explore nomophobia in diverse cultural settings and across different age groups.