Health Effects of Mobile Phone Usage

2015 ◽  
pp. 607-629
Author(s):  
Angelo Levis ◽  
Laura Masiero ◽  
Paolo Orio ◽  
Susan Biggin ◽  
Spiridione Garbisa
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Critical Analysis ◽  
Radiofrequency Radiation ◽  
Head Tumors ◽  
Chronic Effects ◽  
Mobile Phone Usage ◽  
Acute And Chronic Effects

Uncertainty about the association between health risks and exposure to radiofrequency radiation emitted by cellular and cordless mobile phones can be addressed by a critical analysis of the methodology used in studies assessing this relationship. Studies funded by cellphone companies give reassuring conclusions but are affected by biases and flaws, whereas public-funded studies are without these errors and show acute and chronic effects, including head tumors, findings supported by biological evidence.

scholarly journals Relationships Between the Usage of Televisions, Computers, and Mobile Phones and the Quality of Sleep in a Chinese Population: Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yao Jie Xie ◽  
Daphne SK Cheung ◽  
Alice Y Loke ◽  
Bernice L Nogueira ◽  
Karry M Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Chinese Population ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Computer Usage ◽  
Tv Viewing ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mobile Phone Usage

BACKGROUND No study has comprehensively investigated the association between the usage of typical screen-based electronic media devices and sleep quality in a Chinese population with individuals in a wide range of ages. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to understand the characteristics of television (TV) viewing, computer usage, and mobile phone usage in a representative Chinese population in Macau and to examine their roles in predicting the variations in sleep quality. METHODS This cross-sectional study was an analysis of 1500 Macau residents aged 15 to 90 years based on a community-based health needs assessment study entitled, “Healthy Living, Longer Lives.” Data collection was conducted in 7 districts of Macau from 2017 to 2018 through face-to-face interviews. The durations of daily TV viewing, computer usage, and mobile phone usage were recorded in a self-administered questionnaire. The Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess the sleep quality. RESULTS The prevalence of TV, computer, and mobile phone usage was 78.4% (1176/1500), 51.6% (769/1490), and 85.5% (1276/1492), respectively. The average daily hours of usage were 1.75 (1.62), 1.53 (2.26), and 2.85 (2.47) hours, respectively. Females spent more time watching TV (<i>P</i>=.03) and using mobile phones (<i>P</i>=.02) and less time on the computer (<i>P</i>=.04) as compared to males. Older adults were more likely to watch TV while young people spent more time using the computer and mobile phones (<i>P</i> for all trends&lt;.001). The mean PSQI global score was 4.79 (2.80) among the participants. Females exhibited significantly higher PSQI scores than males (5.04 vs 4.49, respectively; <i>P</i>&lt;.001). No linear association was observed between the PSQI score and the amount of time spent on the 3 electronic devices (<i>P</i>=.58 for PSQI-TV, <i>P</i>=.05 for PSQI-computer, and <i>P</i>=.52 for PSQI-mobile phone). Curve estimation showed significant quadratic curvilinear associations in PSQI-TV (<i>P</i>=.003) and PSQI-computer (<i>P</i>&lt;.001) among all the participants and in PSQI-mobile phone among youths (age, 15-24 years; <i>P</i>=.04). After adjustment of the gender, age, body mass index, demographics, and lifestyle factors, more than 3 hours of TV viewing and 4 hours of computer usage or mobile phone usage was associated with 85% (95% CI 1.04-1.87; <i>P</i>=.008), 72% (95% CI 1.01-2.92; <i>P</i>=.045), and 53% (95% CI 1.06-2.22; <i>P</i>=.03) greater odds of having poor sleep quality (PSQI score&gt;5), respectively. CONCLUSIONS The mobile phone was the most popular screen-based electronic device used in the Macau population, especially among young people. “J” shape associations were observed between sleep quality and the duration of TV viewing, computer usage, and mobile phone usage, indicating that the extreme use of screen-based electronic devices predicted poorer sleep status, whereas moderate use would be acceptable.

Mobile Fractal Generation

2011 ◽  
pp. 399-413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel C. Doolan ◽  
Sabin Tabirca ◽  
Laurence T. Yang
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Ubiquitous Computing ◽  
Mobile Devices ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
New Age ◽  
Mandelbrot Set ◽  
Processing Task ◽  
The Past ◽  
Fractal Images ◽  
Mobile Phone Usage

Ever since the discovery of the Mandelbrot set, the use of computers to visualise fractal images have been an essential component. We are looking at the dawn of a new age, the age of ubiquitous computing. With many countries having near 100% mobile phone usage, there is clearly a potentially huge computation resource becoming available. In the past years there have been a few applications developed to generate fractal images on mobile phones. This chapter discusses three possible methodologies whereby such images can be visualised on mobile devices. These methods include: the generation of an image on a phone, the use of a server to generate the image and finally the use of a network of phones to distribute the processing task.

scholarly journals Healthcare Professionals Perception of Mobile Phone Usage and Hand Hygiene Adhesion in Intensive Care Units

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s346-s346
Author(s):  
Evelyn Sanchez ◽  
Lauro Perdigão-Neto ◽  
Sânia Alves dos Santos ◽  
Camila Rizek ◽  
Maria Renata Gomez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care ◽  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Hand Hygiene Compliance ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Molecular Testing ◽  
First Choice ◽  
Mobile Phone Usage ◽  
Hygiene Compliance

Background: The introduction of new technologies into the medical field has the duality of improvement and concerns about correct usage and cleaning. Mobile phones are used by healthcare professionals (HCPs) in the work place, and there is not an official policy about their use in health environment. Methods: We asked 60 intensive care unit (ICU) HCPs from 2 units (the burn unit and the internal medicine unit) to participate in an electronic survey about mobile phone usage and hand hygiene compliance; we also cultured the hands and mobile phones of the participants. Unfortunately, 13 HCPs did not participate. Susceptibility testing of the strains was conducted, as well as molecular testing. Results: Overall, 47 HCPs responded to the inquiry: 19% were nurses (9 of 47), 19% were resident physicians (9 of 47), 17% were nursery technicians (8 of 47), 17% were physiotherapists (8 of 47), 13% were cleaning staff (6 of 47), 11% were consultants (5 of 47), and 4% were technicians (2 of 47). Moreover, 26 of 47 participants (55%) were woman and 21 (45%) were men. From all HCP categories, 39 of 47 respondents (83%) reported that they had optimal hand hygiene compliance. However, 92% of respondents had a colonized hand and 90% had a colonized mobile phone. Also, 44 of 47 HCPs (94%) reported that the took their personal mobile phone into the workplace; 40 (85%) reported that they used it during the work day and 35 (74%) reported that they cleaned it. However, 8 HCPs (26%) reported that they had never cleaned the device. All of the HCPs understood that mobile phones can harbor bacteria, and 27 of 47 HCPs (57.45%) indicated that they use 70% alcohol to clean their mobile phones. In contrast, the first choice for hand hygiene was water and soap in 51% of HCPs (24 of 47). Also, 3 HCPs did not have any colonization in the hand culture but had healthcare-associated infection (HAI) pathogens in the mobile phone culture. Conclusions: A policy regarding mobile phone usage in the healthcare setting should be in place, and cleaning of electronic devices in hospitals should be standardized.Funding: NoneDisclosures: NoneFunding: NoneDisclosures: None

Is (the study of) mobile phones old wine in a new bottle? A polemic on communication-based acculturation research

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 806-824 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajiv George Aricat
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Work Productivity ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Labor Migrants ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mobile Phone Usage ◽  
Mobile Phone Communication

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to critically analyze the discourses on migrant acculturation and migrants’ mobile phone communication, in order to examine the inclusiveness of communication-acculturation research in the recent years. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on from 102 qualitative interviews (48 Malayali, 26 Bangla, 17 Tamil and 11 Telugu) for a larger research project that investigated the role of mobile phones in migrant acculturation in Singapore. Respondents were selected using a combination of purposive and snowball sampling methods. The respondents had been in Singapore for varying amount of time: from one month to 19 years. Findings – The analysis of the discourses on migrant acculturation and mobile phone communication revealed that labor migrants were excluded on the basis of their temporary status and apprehensions on work productivity. The mobile usage prohibitions that existed in work sites were hinged on similar discourses that stereotyped the labor migrants. The emancipatory metaphor that has been at the center of research on migrants’ mobile phone usage and acculturation needs to be replaced with a critical discourse perspective. Research limitations/implications – The data were originally collected for a research project that approached the phenomena of acculturation and mobile phone appropriation from a positivist perspective, whereas this paper analyzed the data to critically examine the discourses that supported the premise of the project itself. Due to this, the findings presented in this paper have limited scope for generalization. Originality/value – The paper critiques the research trends in migrant acculturation and mobile phone communication and suggests a possible alternative that goes beyond the “transcendental teleology” that underpins discourse and practice.

scholarly journals Mobile phone usage pattern and its health effects among medical students in north Karnataka: an observational study

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (10) ◽  
pp. 4305
Author(s):  
Sweta Sinha ◽  
Manjula S. Patil
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Observational Study ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Health Effect ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Usage Pattern ◽  
Mobile Phone Usage

Background: The mobile phone is viewed as an important communication tool and is an integral part of the human society in the present era. Medical students use smart phones for note taking, imaging, web browsing, text books, question banks etc. Excessive mobile phone use has been found to be associated with health problems such as impaired concentration, headache, fatigue, thermal sensations in and around ear, stress, sleep disturbances and frustration. Objective was to explore the mobile phone usage pattern and its health effects among medical students.Methods: An observational study was conducted among medical students of Belagavi. The calculated sample size was 277 after taking the prevalence of mobile phone usage pattern of 76.4%. The questionnaire consists of socio-demographic characteristics, pattern of mobile phone usage like mode of use, time of maximum use etc. and the health effect variables like headache, restlessness, neck pain, painful fingers etc. Statistical analysis was done using MS-Excel 2007 and SPSS v 22, proportion and chi-square test was applied and p<0.05 was considered significant.Results: 98.19% were using smart phone and 85.56% were having single phone. Maximum were using for 2-4 years (42.60%). Internet was used for academic purpose in 89.89%. Majority of them experienced eyes symptoms (55.23%) followed by sleep deprivation (46.21%) and headache (42.60%).Conclusions: Even though mobile phone has positive role in our daily lives, its overuse leads to negative impact on health, sleep, and academic performance of students.

scholarly journals Use of Mobile Phone and In-Vehicle Interaction: A Case study among selected students in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-132
Author(s):  
Olabisi Olapoju
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
University Students ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Negative Correlation ◽  
Mobile Phone Use ◽  
Mobile Phone Usage

Mobile phone use among university students is now pervasively altering their social interaction with others. The study investigated the influence of mobile phone use among commuting University Students on their interaction with co-travellers and the environment through which they travel. Three hundred students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria were purposively sampled to respond to a 10-minute questionnaire. The questionnaire contained questions such as ownership of mobile phones, type and number of phones owned, frequency of usage and the influence of mobile phone usage during transit on interaction between the students and their co-travelers and with the environment they traveled through. Results showed that all the respondents possessed at least one mobile phone. In addition, results revealed a negative correlation between time of use of mobile phone and interaction with co-travelers (α=0.05, r= -0.039) and no significant correlation between length of use of mobile phone and interaction with the environment (α=0.05, r=0.079). The study established that mobile phone intrusiveness has an influence on students' interaction during commuting.

scholarly journals Exploring the Use of Mobile Technology in Qualitative Inquiry in Africa

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ane Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Mobile Technology ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Participation Rates ◽  
Mobile Phone Usage

In this article I explore how mobile phones may facilitate greater access to participants and higher participation rates in qualitative inquiry in Africa. Qualitative researchers face a number of ethical and procedural challenges when collecting data in the field. But with the explosion of mobile phone usage, many of these obstacles to data collection may be ameliorated, facilitating greater access to participants, to data, and to important findings. I use the example of a research study on the connection between development and higher education at two public universities in Kenya to illustrate how mobile phones played an unexpected role in data collection. Finally, I discuss preliminary recommendations for using the mobile phone to contend with the myriad challenges to rigorous qualitative research in Africa.

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