Modes of use of the cell phone and health of schoolchildren

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Abstract

Introduction. The broad spread of cell phones (CP) among schoolchildren and the absence of age standards for their safe use determined the purpose of the study: to reveal the regimens of CP use, critical for the health of children and adolescents.

Material and methods. In a cross-sectional study in 2008-2010, by the questionnaire data of 2,137 schoolchildren aged 6-15 years there was assessed the impact of CP usage indices (daily number of calls - CN, call duration - CD, and total daily duration of calls - TCDD) on health (the incidence of headaches and sleep disorders, number of colds). Student and Mann-Whitney criteria and assessment of relative risks were used.

Results. The study revealed age-dependent critical values of usage indices (in 6-10 years: CN=2, TCDD=6 minutes.; in 11-13 years: CN=6; in 14-15 years CN=6, CD=3 minutes., TCDD=4 -10 min.), the exceeding of which due to risks: in 6-10 years - to have more than 4 colds a year (OR 2.25, 95% CI 1.09-4.62); in 11-13 years to have several headaches per week (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.12-2.30); in 14-15 years - to have several headaches (OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.27-2.54) and several sleep disorders (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.17-2.37) per week.

Discussion. Age differences in critical modes of CP use and in health violations, as well as the importance of radiation intensity are discussed.

Conclusions. Age-related CP use regimens, critical for health, were established. It was shown the need to develop more precise age criteria for safe CP use with taking into account a wider range of health indicators and radiation intensity.

About the authors

Olga A. Vyatleva

National Medical Research Center of Children’s Health

Author for correspondence.
Email: olgavyat@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-2940-1855

MD, Ph.D., DSci., leading researcher of the Laboratory of complex problems of hygiene of children and adolescents of the Research Institute of Hygiene and Health of Children and Adolescents of the National Medical Research Center of Children’s Health, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation.

e-mail: olgavyat@mail.ru

Russian Federation

A. M. Kurgansky

National Medical Research Center of Children’s Health

Email: noemail@neicon.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-7688-586X
Russian Federation

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