Mobile phone usage and its perceived ill health effects: a cross sectional study in Chennai, India

Authors

  • Manoj B. Patki Department of Community Medicine, Zoram Medical College, Mizoram, India
  • Balaji Arumugam Department of Community Medicine, Tagore Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Ganesh S. Anusuya Department of Community Medicine, Zoram Medical College, Mizoram, India http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6853-6616
  • Recharla Chenchu Karthik Department of Community Medicine, Tagore Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Ezhilvanan Mani Department of Community Medicine, Tagore Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Radhakrishnan Annamalai Department of Community Medicine, Tagore Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20203058

Keywords:

Smartphone, Adverse effects, Ill health, Chennai, Mobile phones

Abstract

Background: Smart phone usage is on the rise in India. Previous studies have attributed mobile phone usage to certain health problems. Not many studies have been done in the community in Chennai pertaining to ill health effects of mobile phone usage.

Methods: This was a cross sectional study done on 213 participants of age >14 years of urban and rural field practice area of Tagore Medical College and Hospital in Chennai. The duration of the study period was from January to March 2019. Participants were interviewed by using a pretested questionnaire. House to house survey was done for data collection. Descriptive statistics and chi square test were done to compare the various variables.

Results: Nearly 52% were females. Mean age was 30 years. The most common perceived ill health effects were eye symptoms (63%), headache (40%), and feeling irritable (25%).The major differences among urban and rural population in mobile phone usage were, playing games (50% vs 35%: p=0.019), listening to music (77.7% vs 54.5% : p=0.000), taking selfies (48.5% vs 36.4% : p=0.048). Urban people in the study were found to use mobile phones more for internet (77.7%), WhatsApp (77.7%), and Facebook (70%), than rural people which was found to be internet (61.8%), WhatsApp (58.2%), and Facebook (40%) and their respective p values were 0.009, 0.002, 0.000.

Conclusions: Authors strongly recommend undertaking health education and health awareness activities regarding the ill health effects of mobile phone usage in the community.

Author Biographies

Manoj B. Patki, Department of Community Medicine, Zoram Medical College, Mizoram, India

Associate Professor

Dept of Community Medicine

Zoram Medical College 

Balaji Arumugam, Department of Community Medicine, Tagore Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Department of Community Medicine

Professor  and Head of the Department 

Tagore Medical College & Hospital

Chennai

Ganesh S. Anusuya, Department of Community Medicine, Zoram Medical College, Mizoram, India

Associate  Professor, Dept of Community Medicine
Zoram Medical College, Mizoram - 796005

Recharla Chenchu Karthik, Department of Community Medicine, Tagore Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Department of Community Medicine

Assistant Professor

Ezhilvanan Mani, Department of Community Medicine, Tagore Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Department of Community Medicine

Statistician cum Assistant Professor 

Radhakrishnan Annamalai, Department of Community Medicine, Tagore Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Department of Community Medicine

Assistant Professor 

References

Statista. The Statistics Portal. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/274774/forecast-of-mobile-phone-users-worldwide/. Accessed on 29 December 2019.

Statista. The Statistics Portal. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/274658/forecast-of-mobile-phone-users-in-india/ Accessed on 15 May 2020.

Statista. The Statistics Portal. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/467163/forecast-of-smartphone-users-in-india/. Accessed on 29 September 2019

HindustanTimes. Available at: https://tech.hindustan times.com/tech/news/india-to-have-478-million-mobile-internet-users-by-june-2018-report-story-B5Cn7KjijPi WRLh05TBqOL.html. Accessed on 15 May 2020.

Quartz India. Available at: https://qz.com/india/ 945127/internet-use-in-india-proves-desktops-are-only-for-westerners/. Accessed on 29 September 2019.

Times of India. Available at: https://timesofindia. indiatimes.com/business/india-business/indians-spend-70-of-mobile-internet-time-on-social-entert-ainment/articleshow/62125840.cms. Accessed on 29 September 2019.

Beranuy M, Oberst U, Carbonell X, Chamarro A. Problematic Internet and mobile phone use and clinical symptoms in college students: the role of emotional intelligence. Comput Hum Behav. 2009;25(5):1182–7.

Frost and Sullivan. Industry Outlook for the Indian Telecom and Broadcast Industry. 2017. Available at: https://ww2.frost.com/files/3614/9140/7078/An_Exclusive_Whitepaper_by_Frost.pdf. Accessed on 13 June 2019.

Acharya JP, Acharya I, Waghrey D. A Study on Some of the Common Health Effects of Cell-Phones amongst College Students. J Community Med Health Educ. 2013;3:4.

Stalin P, Abraham SB, Kanimozhy K, Prasad RV, Singh Z, Purty AJ. Mobile phone usage and its health effects among adults in a semi-urban area of southern India. J Clin Diagn Res. 2016;10:LC14–6.

Arumugam B, Sachi S, Nagalingam S. A descriptive study on behaviour associated with mobile phone usage and its effect on health among medical students in chennai. J Evol Med Dent Sci. 2014;3(7):1590–5.

Röösli M. Radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure and non-specific symptoms of ill health: a systematic review. Environ Res. 2008;107(2):277-87.

Shari P. Walsh, Katherine M. White, Ross M. Young. Over-connected? A qualitative exploration of the relationship between Australian youth and their mobile phones. J Adolescence. 2008;31:77-92.

Strayer DL, Drews FA. Profiles in driver distraction: effects of cell phone conversations on younger and older drivers. Hum Factors. 2004;46(4):640–9.

Salama OE, Abou EL, Naga RM. Cellular phones: are they detrimental? J Egypt Publ Health Assoc. 2004;79:197-223.

Dhanasekaran RS, Arumugam B, EzhilVaanan M. Problematic usage of mobile phones among adolescents in Chennai – a cross sectional study. National J Res Community Med. 2017;6(2):170-3.

Cinel C, Russo R, Boldini A, Fox E. Exposure to mobile phone electromagnetic fields and subjective symptoms: a double blind study. Psychosom Med. 2008;70:345–8.

Suresh S, Sabanayagam C, Kalidindi S, Shankar A. Cell-phone use and self-reported hypertension: national health interview survey 2008. Int J Hypertens. 2011;2011:360415.

Downloads

Published

2020-07-24

How to Cite

Patki, M. B., Arumugam, B., Anusuya, G. S., Karthik, R. C., Mani, E., & Annamalai, R. (2020). Mobile phone usage and its perceived ill health effects: a cross sectional study in Chennai, India. International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 7(8), 2993–3001. https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20203058

Issue

Section

Original Research Articles