Awareness of Students Regarding the Effect of Mobile Phone Usage on Health at an Indian University Chukhare Milind1, Jadhav Sammita2,* 1Assistant Professor, Symbiosis Institute of Health Sciences, Symbiosis International University, Pune 2Professor, Symbiosis Institute of Health Sciences, Symbiosis International University, Pune *Corresponding Author: Sammita Jadhav Professor, Symbiosis Institute of Health Sciences, Symbiosis International University, Pune Email Id: milind@sihspune.org dr_jadhav@sihspune.org Mobile no: 8007353205 and 9527355053
Online published on 19 August, 2019. Abstract Background Mobile phones form an integral part of day-to-day communication system in every individual life [1]. Billions of people use mobile phones globally, which implies that even a small adverse effect on health can lead to long-term public health implications. Health related risk get enhanced due to factors like the number of calls per day, the duration of the call and the amount of internet usage on cell phones[2] Mobile phones emit radiofrequency energy, which get absorbed by fleshy tissue when brought close to the phone[1]. Long exposure to radiofrequency can causes adverse health effects that includes changing brain activity, DNA, cell structure, response time, and sleep configurations[3][4]. Objective The study seeks to assess the pattern of mobile phone usage amongst students at an Indian university and aims to assess their perception and knowledge regarding the effect of excessive mobile phone use on the health of an individual. Methodology A descriptive survey was conducted among 103 students studying at an Indian university. The students were invited to participate in the study by means of an email containing Google Document form and the data were collected. The questionnaire consisted of 16 questions related to the topic, which suitably covered the data related to the cell phone devices and the impact that it creates on the health of an individual. In addition, the questionnaire collected demographic data (age, sex, and university degree) of the participants. Results Majority of the students 96 (93%) feel that use of cell phones causes health problems. The study indicated that 51.2% of students use cell phones for long duration of time, of more than 3hours per day. The respondents felt that health risks due to excessive mobile phone usage could be reduced by self-discipline and setting limits to the usage of mobile phones. Moreover, reducing the internet usage and adopting recreation activities that are physically engaging could reduce the usage of cell phones. Conclusion With the help of organizing various awareness programs regarding ill effects of prolonged mobile phone usage will make the student population more responsible for their own health. Top Keywords Awareness, mobile phone, health risks, students. Top |