Impact of Smartphone Use on Health Status and Study Habits Among Students: A Study of Self-Financing Nursing Colleges

Year : 2026 | Volume : 16 | Issue : 02 | Page : 31 41
By

Suman Vashist,

  1. Professor, Department of Nursing, Teerthanker Mahaveer University, Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

Background: The proliferation of smartphones within academic environments has introduced far-reaching consequences for both physical and psychological well-being and academic engagement. Nursing students, whose professional formation depends on concentrated learning and sound clinical reasoning, represent a particularly vulnerable yet understudied group within this discourse. Objective: This systematic review synthesizes peer-reviewed evidence examining the multidimensional impact of smartphone use on the health status and study habits of students enrolled in self-financing nursing colleges, with emphasis on outcomes relevant to clinical nursing education. Methods: A structured literature search was conducted across PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Google Scholar, and IndMED databases covering the period 2013–2024. Studies were selected using predefined Population, Intervention/Exposure, Comparator, Outcome (PICOS) criteria. Quality appraisal followed the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for observational studies and the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist for cross-sectional designs. Thematic synthesis guided data aggregation. Results: Thirty-two studies met inclusion criteria, encompassing 11,840 nursing students across seven countries. Findings consistently demonstrated an inverse relationship between excessive smartphone use and academic performance, sleep adequacy, musculoskeletal health, and psychological well-being. Problematic smartphone use was associated with nomophobia (73.4%), neck pain (61.2%), poor sleep quality (68.9%), and reduced in-class concentration. Paradoxically, structured educational smartphone applications enhanced self-directed learning, clinical decision support, and drug dosage calculation accuracy. Conclusion: Smartphone use among nursing students in self-financing colleges presents a dual-edged profile. Institutions must cultivate evidence-based digital wellness policies that harness the academic utility of smartphones while mitigating addictive and health-compromising patterns of use.

Keywords: Smartphone addiction, nursing students, health status, study habits, self-financing colleges, screen time, nomophobia, academic performance

[This article belongs to Journal of Nursing Science & Practice ]

How to cite this article: Suman Vashist. Impact of Smartphone Use on Health Status and Study Habits Among Students: A Study of Self-Financing Nursing Colleges. Journal of Nursing Science & Practice. 2026; 16(02):31-41.
How to cite this URL: Suman Vashist. Impact of Smartphone Use on Health Status and Study Habits Among Students: A Study of Self-Financing Nursing Colleges. Journal of Nursing Science & Practice. 2026; 16(02):31-41. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/jonsp/article=2026/view=257419

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Regular Issue Subscription Original Research
Volume 16
Issue 02
Received 28/04/2026
Accepted 09/08/2026
Published 20/08/2026
Publication Time 114 Days

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