The Effect of Nomophobia on Exercise Procrastination: The Mediating Role of Self-Control

İngilizce (OpenAlex)

Aim: This study examined the relationship between nomophobia-the fear of being without access to a mobile phone-and exercise procrastination among university students.It also investigated whether self-control mediated this association.Given the growing dependence on digital devices and the decline in physical activity among young adults, understanding these behavioral dynamics is timely andcrucial for public health.Method: The research sample consisted of 467 university students who reported engaging in physical activity regularly.Data collection involved three validated instruments: the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q), the Exercise Procrastination Scale (EPS), and the Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS).All scales demonstrated strong internal reliability, with Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranging from .805 to .949.Statistical analyses were carried out using IBM SPSS (Version 25).Results: The analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between nomophobia and exercise procrastination (r = .525,p < .01).Moreover, nomophobia was found to significantly predict exercise delay both directly (B = 0.5375, p < .001)and indirectly through reduced selfcontrol (B = 0.1148; 95% CI [0.0693, 0.1718]).The model explained approximately 34.2% of the variance in exercise procrastination behavior (R² = .3419),supporting the presence of a partial mediating effect.Conclusion: The findings highlight the role of nomophobia as a modern behavioral risk factor that may hinder students' motivation to engage in regular physical activity.Notably, self-control emerged as a buffering variable, mitigating the adverse effects of nomophobia on health-related habits.These insights suggest that preventive strategies aimed at improving digital self-regulation and self-control capacities could be beneficial in reducing exercise procrastination among digitally immersed youth.Programs integrating mobile usage awareness with self-discipline training may be particularly effective for this population.Based on these findings, universities and health policymakers may develop digital wellness programs that could include behavioral training aimed at enhancing self-regulation.Future interventions could also combine physical activity promotion campaigns with digital detox practices to increase their effectiveness in digitally saturated environments.