Exposure to electromagnetic field, cell phone use behaviors, SAR values, and changes in health following exposure in adolescent university students

İkinci keleş, Ayşe; Uzun Şahin, Ceyda

doi:10.1590/0004-282X-ANP-2020-0283

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Article • Arq. Neuro-Psiquiatr. 79 (2) • Feb 2021 • https://doi.org/10.1590/0004-282X-ANP-2020-0283 copy

Exposure to electromagnetic field, cell phone use behaviors, SAR values, and changes in health following exposure in adolescent university students

Exposição ao campo eletromagnético, comportamentos de uso de telefones celulares, valores SAR mudanças na saúde após exposição em estudantes universitários adolescentes

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

ABSTRACT

Background:

The use of technological devices is growing rapidly, and the use of cell phones increases in parallel. Dependence on technological devices is a particular factor in this increased exposure. Many studies have been performed on this electromagnetic field, but no definite conclusions have been drawn.

Objective:

The purpose of this research was to investigate exposure to electromagnetic field, cell phone use behaviors, the specific absorption rate (SAR) values, and changes in health occurring after exposure in university students.

Methods:

A questionnaire was administered to 1,019 volunteer students aged 18–24 years at the Niğde Ömer Halisdemir and Recep Tayip Erdoğan Universities in 2018–2019. The questions were based on a survey of the literature.

Results:

The students spent an average 4–8 hours per day on their cell phones, and findings such as headache (p=0.002), concentration deficit (p=0.001), tiredness on waking in the morning (p=0.001), hyperactivity (p=0.001), general feeling of fatigue (p=0.001), and lethargy (p=0.001) increased in a statistically significant manner with length of use.

Conclusions:

Participants exhibited high levels of cell phone use and experienced biological, behavioral, and sleep problems. They also had very little knowledge about specific SAR values, an important criterion concerning cell phones.

Keywords:
Adolescent; Surveys and Questionnaires; Cell Phone; Electromagnetic Field; Absorption

Phone identification	Cell phone SAR values (W/kg)		n	%
Phone identification	Head	Body	n	%
1	0.6	0.3	390	38.2
2	1.4	1.4	292	28.7
3	1.5	1.3	120	11.7
4	1.4	1.4	60	5.9
5	0.8	0.1	41	4.0
6	1.5	1.6	31	3.0
7	1.2	1.2	21	2.1
8	0.9	1.6	19	1.9
9	1.7	1.9	17	1.7
10	0.9	1.5	11	1.1
11	0.3	0.3	8	0.8
12	0.9	0.5	5	0.5
13	0.4	1.2	4	0.4
	mean±standard deviation 1.04±0. 45	mean±standard deviation 1.10±0.59	1,010	100%

Cell phone use behaviors		n	%
Where the phone is kept during daytime	In a bag	440	43.2
	In a shirt pocket	57	5.6
	In a pants pocket	519	50.9
	All of the above	3	0.3
Number of hours of use per day	1–4	502	49.3
	4–8	322	31.6
	8–12	119	11.7
	12 or more	76	7.5
Use of headphones/ear buds along with the phone	Yes	744	73.0
Use of headphones/ear buds along with the phone	No	275	27.0
Checking the phone for no reason	Yes	814	79.9
Checking the phone for no reason	No	205	20.1
Where do you put the phone when you go to sleep?	Beside my head	431	42.3
	Under the pillow	159	15.6
	On a table in my room	419	41.1
	Different rooms	10	1.0
Is the phone turned off when you are sleeping?	Yes	68	6.7
Is the phone turned off when you are sleeping?	No	951	93.3
Do you play with the phone in bed?	Yes	976	95.8
Do you play with the phone in bed?	No	43	4.2
Turning the phone on immediately upon waking	Yes	855	83.9
Turning the phone on immediately upon waking	No	164	16.1
Using the phone while it is charging	Yes	859	84.3
Using the phone while it is charging	No	160	15.7
Using the phone as a wake-up tool	Yes	967	94.9
Using the phone as a wake-up tool	No	52	5.1
Deferring to going to the toilet when using the phone	Yes	180	17.7
Deferring to going to the toilet when using the phone	No	839	82.3
Deferring eating when using the phone	Yes	151	14.8
Deferring eating when using the phone	No	868	85.2
Postponing studying while using the phone	Yes	552	54.2
Postponing studying while using the phone	No	467	45.8

General symptoms		n	%
Headache	Yes	612	60.1
Headache	No	407	39.9
Dizziness	Yes	276	27.1
Dizziness	No	743	72.9
Lack of concentration	Yes	597	58.6
Lack of concentration	No	422	41.4
Learning difficulties	Yes	288	28.3
Learning difficulties	No	731	71.7
Improved learning	Yes	391	38.4
Improved learning	No	628	61.6
Forgetfulness	Yes	661	64.9
Forgetfulness	No	358	35.1
Carelessness	Yes	610	59.9
Carelessness	No	409	40.1

Sleep symptoms		n	%
Total sleep time	1–4 hour	36	3.5
	4–7 hour	463	45.4
	7–10 hour	485	47.6
	10–13 hour	29	2.8
	13 hour and ↑	6	0.6
Sleep onset latency	Yes	490	48.1
Sleep onset latency	No	529	51.9
Feeling tired upon waking	Yes	608	59.7
Feeling tired upon waking	No	411	40.3
Frequent nocturnal waking	Yes	272	26.7
Frequent nocturnal waking	No	747	73.3
Falling asleep quickly	Yes	353	34.6
Falling asleep quickly	No	666	65.4

	General health							Sleep symptoms
Hours of use per day	Headache (%)	Dizziness (%)	Lack of concentration (%)	Learning difficulties (%)	Improved learning (%)	Forgetfulness (%)	Carelessness (%)	Sleep onset latency (%)	Feeling tired on awakening (%)	Frequent nocturnal waking (%)	Falling asleep quickly (%)
1–4	50.7	24.3	53.5	25.4	34.9	57.4	51.4	45.4	46.5	21.5	35.9
4–8	62.8	26.2	58.2	28.6	39.6	66.5	60.2	45.5	61.0	26.2	35.5
8–12	65.8	29.5	66.8	32.6	39.4	71.5	69.4	52.8	69.9	30.6	32.6
11 and ↑	63.8	27.1	58.8	26.3	41.3	66.3	65.0	61.3	73.8	38.8	30.0
χ²	14.886 ^ p<0.005, statistically significant	5.294 ^* * p>0.005, statistically insignificant;	8.447 ^* * p>0.005, statistically insignificant;	3.194 ^* * p>0.005, statistically insignificant;	2.144 ^* * p>0.005, statistically insignificant;	11.263 ^* * p>0.005, statistically insignificant;	16.698 ^ p<0.005, statistically significant	9.397 ^* * p>0.005, statistically insignificant;	35.957 ^ p<0.005, statistically significant	11.431 ^* * p>0.005, statistically insignificant;	1.455 ^* * p>0.005, statistically insignificant;

Behavioral characteristic
Hours of use per day	Hyperactivity (%)	Fatigue (%)	Numbness (%)	Introversion (%)	Desire to be alone (%)	Problems in establishing relationships with peers (%)	Problems in relations with peers (%)	Problems in socialization (%)	Incompatibilities in the family (%)	Reluctance to establish friendships (%)	Reluctance to speak with people outside the phone (%)	Reluctance to speak with people on the phone (%)
1–4	17.3	58.8	39.4	33.1	49.6	17.3	22.2	19.0	13.4	30.3	23.6	44.4
4–8	22.7	70.1	48.5	36.4	53.5	14.5	16.7	19.5	15.2	32.7	26.6	46.1
8–12	43.9	75.6	56.5	39.9	51.8	13.0	16.6	18.7	20.7	31.6	21.8	49.2
11 and ↑	45.0	71.3	48.5	38.8	60.0	16.3	22.5	16.3	20.0	27.5	22.5	41.3
χ²	27.510 ^ p<0.005, statistically significant	17.605 ^ p<0.005, statistically significant	19.464 ^ p<0.005, statistically significant	2.546 ^* * p>0.005, statistically insignificant;	2.936 ^* * p>0.005, statistically insignificant;	1.931 ^* * p>0.005, statistically insignificant;	4.862 ^* * p>0.005, statistically insignificant;	0.476 ^* * p>0.005, statistically insignificant;	5.822 ^* * p>0.005, statistically insignificant;	1.087 ^* * p>0.005, statistically insignificant;	2.206 ^* * p>0.005, statistically insignificant;	1.830 ^* * p>0.005, statistically insignificant;

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[1] Correspondence: Ayşe İkinci Keleş; E-mail: ayse_ikinci@hotmail.com.