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REVIEW ARTICLE

Psychological and occupational factors associated with nomophobia among healthcare professionals: A systematic review and meta-analysis

María Dolores López-Salmerón1 ,  María Angustias Olivencia-Carrión2 ,  Verónica V. Márquez-Hernández3 ,  Lorena Gutiérrez-Puertas3 ,  Juan M. Flujas-Contreras4*
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1 Department of Psychology and Health, Faculty of Psychology and Health Sciences, Madrid Open University, Madrid, Spain
2 Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Andalusia, Spain
3 Department of Nursing, Physiotherapy, and Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Almeria, Almeria, Andalusia, Spain
4 Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Almeria, Almeria, Andalusia, Spain
HPR, 026110060 https://doi.org/10.36922/HPR026110060
Received: 14 March 2026 | Revised: 11 June 2026 | Accepted: 18 June 2026 | Published online: 20 July 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Nomophobia is an emerging phenomenon with potential effects on mental health and professional performance. In the healthcare field, smartphone use is frequent for both personal and work-related reasons; however, the evidence regarding its prevalence and associated factors is heterogeneous, making it difficult to draw integrated conclusions. This study explores the prevalence of nomophobia and analyzes its relationship with sociodemographic, psychological, and occupational variables among healthcare professionals through a systematic review and meta-analysis. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, with the protocol registered with PROSPERO (CRD420261329317). A search was conducted in Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest without time restrictions for quantitative observational studies involving healthcare professionals that assessed nomophobia using validated instruments. Data were extracted on sociodemographic characteristics, prevalence, severity, and psychological and occupational associations. A correlational meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model. Eighteen published studies were included, with sample sizes ranging from 112 to 1,083 participants, mainly nursing professionals. The prevalence of nomophobia was high, generally at mild-to-moderate levels. It was consistently associated with younger age and less professional experience, and showed positive associations with stress, anxiety, fear of missing out, and neuroticism, and negative associations with mindfulness, self-efficacy, well-being, and clinical decision-making. Evidence regarding occupational variables was limited. The meta-analyses indicated a significant association with occupational stress, a negative association with decision-making, and a positive association with well-being. Nomophobia is common among healthcare professionals and is mainly associated with psychological variables relevant to well-being and clinical performance.

Graphical abstract
Keywords
Nomophobia
Health professionals
Nursing
Funding
This study was funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) through the project “PI23/01213” and co-financed by the European Union (PI23/01213).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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