Abstract
BackgroundSome previous studies have suggested an association between children’s use of mobile phones (MPs)/cordless phones (CPs) and development of cognitive function. We evaluated possible longitudinal associations between the use of MPs and CPs in a cohort of primary school children and effects on their cognitive function.MethodsData on children’s socio-demographics, use of MPs and CPs, and cognitive function were collected at baseline (2010–2012) and follow-up (2012–2013). Cognitive outcomes were evaluated with the CogHealth™ test battery and Stroop Color-Word test. The change in the number of MP/CP voice calls weekly from baseline to follow-up was dichotomized: “an increase in calls” or a “decrease/no change in calls”. Multiple linear regression analyses, adjusting for confounders and clustering by school, were performed to evaluate the associations between the change in cognitive outcomes and change in MP and CP exposures.ResultsOf 412 children, a larger proportion of them used a CP (76% at baseline and follow-up), compared to a MP (31% at baseline and 43% at follow-up). Of 26 comparisons of changes in cognitive outcomes, four demonstrated significant associations. The increase in MP usage was associated with larger reduction in response time for response inhibition, smaller reduction in the number of total errors for spatial problem solving and larger increase in response time for a Stroop interference task. Except for the smaller reduction in detection task accuracy, the increase in CP usage had no effect on the changes in cognitive outcomes.ConclusionOur study shows that a larger proportion of children used CPs compared to MPs. We found limited evidence that change in the use of MPs or CPs in primary school children was associated with change in cognitive function.
Highlights
Some previous studies have suggested an association between children’s use of mobile phones (MPs)/cordless phones (CPs) and development of cognitive function
We did not find gender to be an effect modifier. This community-based longitudinal cohort study investigated whether the change in MPs/CPs in primary school children was associated with changes in cognitive function
We found that number of calls and SMS weekly on MPs increased, whereas CP calls weekly remained unchanged from baseline to follow-up
Summary
Some previous studies have suggested an association between children’s use of mobile phones (MPs)/cordless phones (CPs) and development of cognitive function. The use of mobile phones (MPs) and cordless phones (CPs) by young children has become common worldwide [1,2,3,4,5,6] This has raised concerns regarding the potential health and psychological effects of MPs and CPs on the developing brains of children [7,8,9,10,11]. Our cross-sectional analysis of the ExPOSURE (Examination of Psychological Outcomes in Students Using Radiofrequency dEvices) study found little evidence for an association between the use of MPs and CPs and cognitive effects in a cohort of primary school children in Australia [10]
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