The MOBI-Kids Study Protocol: Challenges in Assessing Childhood and Adolescent Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields from Wireless Telecommunication Technologies and Possible Association with Brain Tumor Risk.

Frontiers in public health · 2014 · Unclear · Insufficient evidence

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UnclearInsufficient evidencePaper 4657

Study snapshot

PublicationFrontiers in public health · 2014

Study typeother

Reported directionUnclear

Evidence ratingInsufficient

Abstract

The rapid increase in mobile phone use in young people has generated concern about possible health effects of exposure to radiofrequency (RF) and extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields (EMF). MOBI-Kids, a multinational case-control study, investigates the potential effects of childhood and adolescent exposure to EMF from mobile communications technologies on brain tumor risk in 14 countries. The study, which aims to include approximately 1,000 brain tumor cases aged 10-24 years and two individually matched controls for each case, follows a common protocol and builds upon the methodological experience of the INTERPHONE study. The design and conduct of a study on EMF exposure and brain tumor risk in young people in a large number of countries is complex and poses methodological challenges. This manuscript discusses the design of MOBI-Kids and describes the challenges and approaches chosen to address them, including: (1) the choice of controls operated for suspected appendicitis, to reduce potential selection bias related to low response rates among population controls; (2) investigating a young study population spanning a relatively wide age range; (3) conducting a large, multinational epidemiological study, while adhering to increasingly stricter ethics requirements; (4) investigating a rare and potentially fatal disease; and (5) assessing exposure to EMF from communication technologies. Our experience in thus far developing and implementing the study protocol indicates that MOBI-Kids is feasible and will generate results that will contribute to the understanding of potential brain tumor risks associated with use of mobile phones and other wireless communications technologies among young people.

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 typeother

Effect directionunclear

PopulationChildren and adolescents/young people aged 10–24 years in 14 countries

Sample size1000

ExposureRF and ELF

Evidence strengthInsufficientConfidence: 74% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

This paper describes the design and methodological challenges of the MOBI-Kids multinational case-control study protocol assessing RF and ELF EMF exposure from wireless telecommunication technologies in relation to brain tumor risk among young people. It reports that developing and implementing the protocol is feasible and that the study is expected to generate results relevant to understanding potential brain tumor risks.

Outcomes measured

Brain tumor risk

Limitations

Protocol/design paper; no health outcome results reported
Complex exposure assessment for EMF from communication technologies
Potential selection bias concerns addressed via choice of controls (appendicitis surgery)
Challenges related to wide age range, multinational conduct, ethics requirements, and rarity/severity of disease

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "other",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF and ELF",
    "source": "mobile communications technologies (mobile phones and other wireless communications technologies)",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": null
  },
  "population": "Children and adolescents/young people aged 10–24 years in 14 countries",
  "sample_size": 1000,
  "outcomes": [
    "Brain tumor risk"
  ],
  "main_findings": "This paper describes the design and methodological challenges of the MOBI-Kids multinational case-control study protocol assessing RF and ELF EMF exposure from wireless telecommunication technologies in relation to brain tumor risk among young people. It reports that developing and implementing the protocol is feasible and that the study is expected to generate results relevant to understanding potential brain tumor risks.",
  "effect_direction": "unclear",
  "limitations": [
    "Protocol/design paper; no health outcome results reported",
    "Complex exposure assessment for EMF from communication technologies",
    "Potential selection bias concerns addressed via choice of controls (appendicitis surgery)",
    "Challenges related to wide age range, multinational conduct, ethics requirements, and rarity/severity of disease"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "insufficient",
  "confidence": 0.74,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "MOBI-Kids",
    "case-control",
    "protocol",
    "brain tumors",
    "children",
    "adolescents",
    "young adults",
    "mobile phones",
    "wireless communications",
    "radiofrequency",
    "extremely low frequency",
    "electromagnetic fields"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "who-icnirp",
      "weight": 0.25,
      "reason": "Large multinational epidemiologic protocol on RF/ELF EMF and brain tumor risk; relevant to major health-risk assessment discussions."
    }
  ]
}

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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: 10.3389/fpubh.2014.00124
PubMed: 25295243

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