Effect of Mobile Phone use on Hearing in Young Adults: An Observational Study

Indian journal of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery : official publication of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India · 2022 · No effect · Low evidence

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No effectLow evidencePaper 551

Study snapshot

PublicationIndian journal of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery : official publication of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India · 2022

Study typecohort

Reported directionNo effect

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Effect of Mobile Phone use on Hearing in Young Adults: An Observational Study Sharma D, Chauhan A, Thakur S. Effect of Mobile Phone use on Hearing in Young Adults: An Observational Study. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2022 Dec;74(Suppl 3):3754-3757. doi: 10.1007/s12070-021-02523-x. Abstract There are concerns regarding the health effects of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) generated by mobile phones. There are apprehensions regarding the effect of these radiations on auditory system. The objective of this study was to find the effect of mobile phone on hearing in young adults. We studied 75 medical students who were mobile phone users for >1 year. Initial hearing status of subjects was assessed by Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA), Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) and Brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA) at the time of enrollment in the study and repeat audiological assessment was conducted at 6 months and again at one year and comparison was done. The mean age of the population was 20.13 + 1.33 years. Right, left and no particular preference for any ear was seen in 74.7%, 16% and 9.3%, respectively. Mean PTA at baseline in right ear at baseline, 6 months and 1 year was 12.71 ± 3.51 dB, 13.73 ± 3.69 dB and 14.07 ± 3.25 dB (p value=0.120), respectively and the same values for left ear were 13.28±3.57, 14.32±3.10 and 14.24±3.20 (p = 0.170) at baseline, 6 months and 1 year. No statistically significant difference in hearing thresholds was seen at baseline and at subsequent follow-ups and between dominant ear and non-dominant ear on BERA and OAE. We did not find any short term effect of mobile phones on the hearing in young adults, however, long term effect on hearing with progressing age cannot be ruled out. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Machine Enhanced Logic

AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typecohort

Effect directionno_effect

PopulationMedical students (young adults)

Sample size75

ExposureRF · >1 year use at enrollment; follow-up at 6 months and 1 year

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

In 75 medical students using mobile phones for >1 year, repeated audiological assessments at baseline, 6 months, and 1 year showed no statistically significant changes in PTA thresholds in either ear and no significant differences between dominant and non-dominant ear on BERA and OAE. The authors report no short-term effect on hearing over the study period, while noting long-term effects cannot be ruled out.

Outcomes measured

Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA) hearing thresholds
Otoacoustic emissions (OAE)
Brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA)
Dominant vs non-dominant ear differences

Limitations

Observational design (no randomized assignment)
Short follow-up duration (up to 1 year) for assessing long-term hearing effects
Exposure characterization limited (no frequency/SAR or quantified usage reported in abstract)
Population limited to medical students (generalizability may be limited)

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "cohort",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "mobile phone",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": ">1 year use at enrollment; follow-up at 6 months and 1 year"
  },
  "population": "Medical students (young adults)",
  "sample_size": 75,
  "outcomes": [
    "Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA) hearing thresholds",
    "Otoacoustic emissions (OAE)",
    "Brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA)",
    "Dominant vs non-dominant ear differences"
  ],
  "main_findings": "In 75 medical students using mobile phones for >1 year, repeated audiological assessments at baseline, 6 months, and 1 year showed no statistically significant changes in PTA thresholds in either ear and no significant differences between dominant and non-dominant ear on BERA and OAE. The authors report no short-term effect on hearing over the study period, while noting long-term effects cannot be ruled out.",
  "effect_direction": "no_effect",
  "limitations": [
    "Observational design (no randomized assignment)",
    "Short follow-up duration (up to 1 year) for assessing long-term hearing effects",
    "Exposure characterization limited (no frequency/SAR or quantified usage reported in abstract)",
    "Population limited to medical students (generalizability may be limited)"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "mobile phone",
    "electromagnetic fields",
    "RF exposure",
    "hearing",
    "pure tone audiometry",
    "otoacoustic emissions",
    "brainstem evoked response audiometry",
    "young adults",
    "medical students"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "mobile-phones",
      "weight": 0.9,
      "reason": "Study evaluates mobile phone use and auditory outcomes."
    }
  ]
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.1007/s12070-021-02523-x
PubMed: 36742690

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