Awareness of Mobile Phone Radiation and Its Potential Health Hazards Among Students and Working-class Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-sectional Survey

COVID-19 pandemic has caused an increased dependence on mobile phones by students and working professionals. Mobile phones are indispensable gadgets with a wide range of applications. However, there are potential risks associated with its usage in terms of radiofrequency radiation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of radiation and its biological adverse effects caused due to the usage of mobile phones among students and working professionals. An online awareness survey was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic among 351 participants using Google forms. The questionnaire was disseminated to the WhatsApp groups of students and working professionals and the data was statistically analysed. Among the 351 subjects, 72% of the respondents used their mobile phones for more than 4 hours per day. However, less than 20% were fully aware of mobile phone radiation being listed in the possible carcinogen list by the World Health Organization (WHO). In addition, only half of the respondents considered the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) value and information on radiation emission while purchasing a new phone. To conclude, the need for awareness of potential hazards associated with the mobile phone radiation seems crucial, especially during this time when everyone in the world and especially school and college students are highly dependent on mobile phones