TY - JOUR

T1 - An international prospective cohort study of mobile phone users and health (COSMOS)

T2 - Factors affecting validity of self-reported mobile phone use

AU - Toledano, Mireille B

AU - Auvinen, Anssi

AU - Tettamanti, Giorgio

AU - Cao, Yang

AU - Feychting, Maria

AU - Ahlbom, Anders

AU - Fremling, Karin

AU - Heinävaara, Sirpa

AU - Kojo, Katja

AU - Knowles, Gemma

AU - Smith, Rachel B

AU - Schüz, Joachim

AU - Johansen, Christoffer

AU - Poulsen, Aslak Harbo

AU - Deltour, Isabelle

AU - Vermeulen, Roel

AU - Kromhout, Hans

AU - Elliott, Paul

AU - Hillert, Lena

N1 - Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - This study investigates validity of self-reported mobile phone use in a subset of 75 993 adults from the COSMOS cohort study. Agreement between self-reported and operator-derived mobile call frequency and duration for a 3-month period was assessed using Cohen's weighted Kappa (κ). Sensitivity and specificity of both self-reported high (≥10 calls/day or ≥4h/week) and low (≤6 calls/week or <30min/week) mobile phone use were calculated, as compared to operator data. For users of one mobile phone, agreement was fair for call frequency (κ=0.35, 95% CI: 0.35, 0.36) and moderate for call duration (κ=0.50, 95% CI: 0.49, 0.50). Self-reported low call frequency and duration demonstrated high sensitivity (87% and 76% respectively), but for high call frequency and duration sensitivity was lower (38% and 56% respectively), reflecting a tendency for greater underestimation than overestimation. Validity of self-reported mobile phone use was lower in women, younger age groups and those reporting symptoms during/shortly after using a mobile phone. This study highlights the ongoing value of using self-report data to measure mobile phone use. Furthermore, compared to continuous scale estimates used by previous studies, categorical response options used in COSMOS appear to improve validity considerably, most likely by preventing unrealistically high estimates from being reported.

AB - This study investigates validity of self-reported mobile phone use in a subset of 75 993 adults from the COSMOS cohort study. Agreement between self-reported and operator-derived mobile call frequency and duration for a 3-month period was assessed using Cohen's weighted Kappa (κ). Sensitivity and specificity of both self-reported high (≥10 calls/day or ≥4h/week) and low (≤6 calls/week or <30min/week) mobile phone use were calculated, as compared to operator data. For users of one mobile phone, agreement was fair for call frequency (κ=0.35, 95% CI: 0.35, 0.36) and moderate for call duration (κ=0.50, 95% CI: 0.49, 0.50). Self-reported low call frequency and duration demonstrated high sensitivity (87% and 76% respectively), but for high call frequency and duration sensitivity was lower (38% and 56% respectively), reflecting a tendency for greater underestimation than overestimation. Validity of self-reported mobile phone use was lower in women, younger age groups and those reporting symptoms during/shortly after using a mobile phone. This study highlights the ongoing value of using self-report data to measure mobile phone use. Furthermore, compared to continuous scale estimates used by previous studies, categorical response options used in COSMOS appear to improve validity considerably, most likely by preventing unrealistically high estimates from being reported.

KW - Adolescent

KW - Adult

KW - Cell Phone/statistics & numerical data

KW - Cell Phone Use/adverse effects

KW - Cohort Studies

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Male

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Self Report

KW - Young Adult

U2 - 10.1016/j.ijheh.2017.09.008

DO - 10.1016/j.ijheh.2017.09.008

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 29056311

VL - 221

SP - 1

EP - 8

JO - International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health

JF - International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health

SN - 1438-4639

IS - 1

ER -