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Patterns of cellular phone use among young people in 12 countries: Implications for RF exposure.
Characterizing exposure to radiofrequency (RF) fields from wireless telecommunications technologies during childhood and adolescence is a research priority in investigating the health effects of RF. The Mobi-Expo study aimed to describe characteristics and determinants of cellular phone use in 534 young people (10-24years) in 12 countries. The study used a specifically designed software application installed on smartphones to collect data on the use of wireless telecommunications devices within this age group. The role of gender, age, maternal education, calendar period, and country was evaluated through multivariate models mutually adjusting for all variables. Call number and duration were higher among females compared to males (geometric mean (GM) ratio 1.17 and 1.42, respectively), among 20-24year olds compared to 10-14year olds (GM ratio 2.09 and 4.40, respectively), and among lowest compared to highest social classes (GM ratio 1.52 and 1.58, respectively). The number of SMS was higher in females (GM ratio 1.46) and the middle age group (15-19year olds: GM ratio 2.21 compared to 10-14year olds) and decreased over time. Data use was highest in the oldest age group, whereas Wi-Fi use was highest in the middle age group. Both data and Wi-Fi use increased over time. Large differences in the number and duration of calls, SMS, and data/Wi-Fi use were seen by country, with country and age accounting for up to 50% of the variance. Hands-free and laterality of use did not show significant differences by sex, age, education, study period, or country. Although limited by a convenience sample, these results provide valuable insights to the design, analysis, and interpretation of future epidemiological studies concerning the health effects of exposure resulting from cellular phone use in young people. In addition, the information provided by this research may be used to design strategies to minimize RF exposure.
Authors
- Langer, Chelsea E, Langer CE, ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: clanger@lagsspine.com.
- de Llobet, Patricia, de Llobet P, ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
- Dalmau, Albert, Dalmau A, ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
- Wiart, Joe, Wiart J, Chaire C2M, LTCI, Telecom ParisTech, Universite Paris-Saclay, 75013 Paris, France.
- Goedhart, Geertje, Goedhart G, Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- Hours, Martine, Hours M, Epidemiological Research and Surveillance Unit in Transport, Occupation and Environment (UMRESTTE), Universite de Lyon/The French Institute of Science and Technology for Transport, Development and Networks (IFSTTAR), Lyon, France.
- Benke, Geza P, Benke GP, Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
- Bouka, Evdoxia, Bouka E, Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
- Bruchim, Revital, Bruchim R, Cancer and Radiation Epidemiology Unit, Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
- Choi, Kyung-Hwa, Choi KH, Department of Preventive Medicine, Dankook University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Republic of Korea.
- Eng, Amanda, Eng A, Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand.
- Ha, Mina, Ha M, Department of Preventive Medicine, Dankook University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Republic of Korea.
- Karalexi, Maria, Karalexi M, Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
- Kiyohara, Kosuke, Kiyohara K, Department of Public Health, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
- Kojimahara, Noriko, Kojimahara N, Department of Public Health, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
- Krewski, Daniel, Krewski D, McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, School of Epidemiology, Public Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Ottawa, Canada.
- Kromhout, Hans, Kromhout H, Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- Lacour, Brigitte, Lacour B, French National Registry of Childhood Solid Tumours, CHU, Nancy, Inserm UMRS-1153, CRESS-EPICEA, University of Paris-Sorbonne, Paris, France.
- 't Mannetje, Andrea, 't Mannetje A, Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand.
- Maule, Milena, Maule M, Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Italy.
- Migliore, Enrica, Migliore E, Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Italy.
- Mohipp, Charmaine, Mohipp C, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Canada.
- Momoli, Franco, Momoli F, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Canada.
- Petridou, Eleni, Petridou E, Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
- Radon, Katja, Radon K, Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology & NetTeaching Unit, Institute and Outpatient Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany.
- Remen, Thomas, Remen T, French National Registry of Childhood Solid Tumours, CHU, Nancy, France.
- Sadetzki, Siegal, Sadetzki S, Cancer and Radiation Epidemiology Unit, Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
- Sim, Malcolm R, Sim MR, Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
- Weinmann, Tobias, Weinmann T, Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology & NetTeaching Unit, Institute and Outpatient Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany.
- Vermeulen, Roel, Vermeulen R, Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- Cardis, Elisabeth, Cardis E, ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
- Vrijheid, Martine, Vrijheid M, ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 2017
SOURCE: Environ Int. 2017 Oct;107:65-74. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2017.06.002. Epub 2017 Jun 29.
JOURNAL TITLE ABBREVIATION: Environ Int
JOURNAL TITLE: Environment international
ISSN: 1873-6750 (Electronic) 0160-4120 (Linking)
VOLUME: 107
PAGES: 65-74
PLACE OF PUBLICATION: Netherlands
ABSTRACT:
Characterizing exposure to radiofrequency (RF) fields from wireless telecommunications technologies during childhood and adolescence is a research priority in investigating the health effects of RF. The Mobi-Expo study aimed to describe characteristics and determinants of cellular phone use in 534 young people (10-24years) in 12 countries. The study used a specifically designed software application installed on smartphones to collect data on the use of wireless telecommunications devices within this age group. The role of gender, age, maternal education, calendar period, and country was evaluated through multivariate models mutually adjusting for all variables. Call number and duration were higher among females compared to males (geometric mean (GM) ratio 1.17 and 1.42, respectively), among 20-24year olds compared to 10-14year olds (GM ratio 2.09 and 4.40, respectively), and among lowest compared to highest social classes (GM ratio 1.52 and 1.58, respectively). The number of SMS was higher in females (GM ratio 1.46) and the middle age group (15-19year olds: GM ratio 2.21 compared to 10-14year olds) and decreased over time. Data use was highest in the oldest age group, whereas Wi-Fi use was highest in the middle age group. Both data and Wi-Fi use increased over time. Large differences in the number and duration of calls, SMS, and data/Wi-Fi use were seen by country, with country and age accounting for up to 50% of the variance. Hands-free and laterality of use did not show significant differences by sex, age, education, study period, or country. Although limited by a convenience sample, these results provide valuable insights to the design, analysis, and interpretation of future epidemiological studies concerning the health effects of exposure resulting from cellular phone use in young people. In addition, the information provided by this research may be used to design strategies to minimize RF exposure.
Characterizing exposure to radiofrequency (RF) fields from wireless telecommunications technologies during childhood and adolescence is a research priority in investigating the health effects of RF. The Mobi-Expo study aimed to describe characteristics and determinants of cellular phone use in 534 young people (10-24years) in 12 countries. The study used a specifically designed software application installed on smartphones to collect data on the use of wireless telecommunications devices within this age group. The role of gender, age, maternal education, calendar period, and country was evaluated through multivariate models mutually adjusting for all variables. Call number and duration were higher among females compared to males (geometric mean (GM) ratio 1.17 and 1.42, respectively), among 20-24year olds compared to 10-14year olds (GM ratio 2.09 and 4.40, respectively), and among lowest compared to highest social classes (GM ratio 1.52 and 1.58, respectively). The number of SMS was higher in females (GM ratio 1.46) and the middle age group (15-19year olds: GM ratio 2.21 compared to 10-14year olds) and decreased over time. Data use was highest in the oldest age group, whereas Wi-Fi use was highest in the middle age group. Both data and Wi-Fi use increased over time. Large differences in the number and duration of calls, SMS, and data/Wi-Fi use were seen by country, with country and age accounting for up to 50% of the variance. Hands-free and laterality of use did not show significant differences by sex, age, education, study period, or country. Although limited by a convenience sample, these results provide valuable insights to the design, analysis, and interpretation of future epidemiological studies concerning the health effects of exposure resulting from cellular phone use in young people. In addition, the information provided by this research may be used to design strategies to minimize RF exposure.
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION: Copyright (c) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
LANGUAGE: eng
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2017 Oct
DATE OF ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION: 20170629
DATE COMPLETED: 20180213
DATE REVISED: 20181202
MESH DATE: 2018/02/14 06:00
EDAT: 2017/07/03 06:00
STATUS: MEDLINE
PUBLICATION STATUS: ppublish
LOCATION IDENTIFIER: S0160-4120(17)30561-5 [pii] 10.1016/j.envint.2017.06.002 [doi]
OWNER: NLM
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