Modelling the associations between faculty support and academic satisfaction among nursing students: Mediating roles of sleep problems and smartphone addiction

Abstract

Faculty support plays a vital role in shaping academic satisfaction among university students. However, its indirect effects through behavioural and psychological pathways such as sleep problems and smartphone addiction, have received limited research attention, particularly in resource-limited contexts like Ghana. This study modelled the association between perceived faculty support and academic satisfaction among student nurses, with sleep problems and smartphone addiction examined as mediating variables. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 563 nursing students at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. Standardised tools were used to assess perceived faculty support, sleep problems, smartphone addiction, and academic satisfaction. Data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). Faculty support was positively associated with academic satisfaction (r = 0.334, p < 0.001) and negatively associated with sleep problems (r = -0.727, p < 0.001) and smartphone addiction (r = -0.491, p < 0.001). Both sleep problems and smartphone addiction were significant negative predictors of academic satisfaction. Mediation analysis showed that both variables partially mediated the relationship between faculty support and academic satisfaction. Faculty support enhances academic satisfaction not only directly but also indirectly by reducing sleep-related issues and smartphone dependency. Strengthening faculty-student relationships could serve as a strategic intervention to improve academic well-being and behavioural regulation in nursing education, particularly within low-resource settings.