Recruiting hard-to-reach populations via respondent driven sampling for mobile phone surveys in Colombia: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Uptake of mobile phone surveys (MPS) is increasing in many low- and middle-income countries, particularly within the context of data collection on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) behavioural risk factors. One barrier to collecting representative data through MPS is capturing data from older participants.Respondent driven sampling (RDS) consists of chain-referral strategies where existing study subjects recruit follow-up participants purposively based on predefined eligibility criteria. Adapting RDS strategies to MPS efforts could, theoretically, yield higher rates of participation for that age group.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate factors that influence the perceived acceptability of a RDS recruitment method for MPS involving people over 45 years of age living in Colombia.

METHODS

An MPS recruitment strategy deploying RDS techniques was piloted to increase participation of older populations. We conducted a qualitative study that drew from surveys with open and closed-ended items, semi-structured interviews for feedback, and focus group discussions to explore perceptions of the strategy and barriers to its application amongst MPS participants.

RESULTS

The strategy's success is affected by factors such as cultural adaptation, institutional credibility and public trust, data protection, and challenges with mobile phone technology. These factors are relevant to individuals' willingness to facilitate RDS efforts targeting hard-to-reach people. Recruitment strategies are valuable in part because hard-to-reach populations are often most accessible through their contacts within their social network who can serve as trust liaisons and drive engagement.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings may inform future studies where similar interventions are being considered to improve access to mobile phone-based data collection amongst hard-to-reach groups.

Mobile phone-assisted imprinted nanozyme for bicolor colorimetric visual detection of erythromycin in river water and milk samples

The residues of erythromycin (ERY) may have negative impacts on the ecological environment, health, and food safety. How to detect ERY effectively and visually is a challenging issue. Herein, we synthesized a molecularly imprinted polymer based nanozymes for selective detection of erythromycin (ERY-MIPNs) at neutral pH, and developed a mobile phone-assisted bicolor colorimetric detection system. This system produced a wide range of color changes from blue to pinkish purple as the ERY concentration increased, making it easy to capture the visualization result. Also, the system showed good sensitivity to ERY ranging from 15 to 135 μM, with a detection limit of 1.78 μM. In addition, the system worked well in the detection of ERY in river water and milk, with the recoveries of 95.57% ∼ 103.20%. These data suggests that this strategy is of considerable potential for practical applications and it provides a new idea for visual detection with portable measurement.

Promoting childbirth in a rural health facility: A quasi-experimental study in western Kenya

BACKGROUND

The high maternal and neonatal mortality rate in sub-Saharan Africa could be reduced by using navigation by means of mobile devices to increase the number of women who choose to give birth in a health center (HC) with a skilled healthcare practitioner.

METHODS

A quasi-experimental design was used to test a midwife-delivered navigation by means of mobile phone. A total of 208 women were randomized to two groups (intervention and control). Women in the intervention group received up to three navigation calls from midwives. Women in the control group received usual antenatal education during prenatal visits. Data were collected using semistructured questionnaires. Childbirth location was determined through medical records.

RESULTS

Overall, 180 (87%) women gave birth in a HC with a 3% advantage for the intervention group. A total of 86% (88/102) of the control group gave birth in a HC versus 89% (92/103) for the intervention group (Χ2 = 0.44, p-value = 0.51), with an unadjusted odds ratio of 1.33 (95% CI: 0.57, 3.09). Among those with personal phones, 91% (138/152) had a birth in a HC versus 79% (42/53) in those without a personal phone (Χ2 = 4.89, p-value = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study indicate that it is feasible to deliver phone-based navigation to support birth in a HC; personal phone ownership may be a factor in the success of this strategy.

Safety analysis of pedestrians distracted by mobile phones at street crossings: Field study in Nanjing

The growing public concern over traffic safety hazards caused by pedestrians' distracted behavior, particularly related to mobile phone usage at pedestrian crossings. Through video recording of pedestrians' street-crossing behaviors on 12 sidewalks across 9 urban road intersections in Nanjing city, 1778 valid pedestrian samples were collected. The study categorizes mobile phone use during the crossing into five distinct types: no use, voice call, screen gaze, screen gaze with operation, and listening to music with headphones. Then, the effects of gender, age and companion conditions on the mobile phone during the crossing were examined by chi-square tests. Utilizing binomial logistic and Relogit regression models, the study analyzed the impact and safety risks of distraction on crossing behavior. Additionally, a random parameters (RP) logit model with heterogeneity in means was used to investigate the determinants affecting mobile phone usage. Notably, individuals aged 18 to 30 years were identified as the random parameter, while factors such as being under 18 years old, having a companion without interaction, having a companion with interaction, weekdays, sidewalk length, and the total number of other pedestrians were identified as fixed parameters. The study also presented significant variables affecting the probability of mobile phone usage through marginal effects, highlighting the potential safety risks associated with mobile phone usage during street crossing. These findings emphasize the need for heightened pedestrian safety awareness and a reduction in distracted behaviors to enhance overall traffic safety.

Relationship Between Warm Childhood Memories and Mobile Phone Addiction: A Moderated Mediation Model

Childhood experiences have an important effect on mobile phone addiction, but the relationship between positive childhood experiences and mobile phone addiction and its underlying mechanisms should be explored further. This study aims to explore a model linking early memories of warmth and safeness to mobile phone addiction via the mediating role of alexithymia and moderating role of negative coping styles. A total of 379 Chinese college students (Mage = 19.80 years, SD = 1.38; 240 females) completed a questionnaire consisting of the Early Memories of Warmth and Safeness Scale, Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Mobile Phone Addiction Scale, and Negative Coping Styles Scale. Results indicate that early memories of warmth and safeness are negatively correlated with mobile phone addiction, and alexithymia plays a mediating role in the link between early memories of warmth and safeness and mobile phone addiction. In addition, negative coping styles significantly moderate the relationship between early memories of warmth and safeness and alexithymia, specifically, the negative association between early memories of warmth and safeness and alexithymia is highly significant at high (vs. low) negative coping styles levels. The findings suggest that early memories of warmth and safeness are an important protective factor against mobile phone addiction, which enrich the literature on mobile phone addiction and provide empirical support for the prevention of mobile phone addiction.

Radio frequency electromagnetic radiations interfere with the Leydig cell functions in-vitro

A growing threat to male infertility has become a major concern for the human population due to the advent of modern technologies as a source of radiofrequency radiation (RFR). Since these technologies have become an integral part of our daily lives, thus, it becomes necessary to know the impression of such radiations on human health. In view of this, the current study aims to focus on the biological effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiations on mouse Leydig cell line (TM3) in a time-dependent manner. TM3 cells were exposed to RFR emitted from 4G cell phone and also exposed to a particular frequency of 1800 MHz and 2450 MHz from RFR exposure system. The cells were then evaluated for different parameters such as cell viability, cell proliferation, testosterone production, and ROS generation. A considerable reduction in the testosterone levels and proliferation rate of TM3 cells were observed at 120 min of exposure as compared to the control group in all exposure settings. Conversely, the intracellular ROS levels showed a significant rise at 60, 90 and 120 min of exposure in both mobile phone and 2450 MHz exposure groups. However, RFR treatment for different time durations (15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 min) did not have significant effect on cell viability at any of the exposure condition (2450 MHz, 1800 MHz, and mobile phone radiation). Therefore, our findings concluded with the negative impact of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiations on Leydig cell's physiological functions, which could be a serious concern for male infertility. However, additional studies are required to determine the specific mechanism of RFR action as well as its long-term consequences.

Letter to the editor

Some have looked forward to the publication of the results of the COSMOS study on brain tumors, because the potential biases from retrospective investigations predominating the search for brain tumor risks of mobile phone use since the late 1990 s were deemed unresolvable by further investigations of that type. Indeed, prospective cohort studies typically have the advantage of being not or less affected by differential exposure misclassification, recall and selection bias, and, as they proceed in the direction of the time arrow, results are more easily interpreted in terms of causation. However, results of the COSMOS study published now in this journal are not of help for the risk assessment of mobile phone use and do not support the conclusions of the authors that their findings "suggest that the cumulative amount of mobile phone use is not associated with the risk of developing glioma, meningioma, or acoustic neuroma".

Headache in the international cohort study of mobile phone use and health (COSMOS) in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom

Headache is a common condition with a substantial burden of disease worldwide. Concerns have been raised over the potential impact of long-term mobile phone use on headache due to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs). We explored prospectively the association between mobile phone use at baseline (2009-2012) and headache at follow-up (2015-2018) by analysing pooled data consisting of the Dutch and UK cohorts of the Cohort Study of Mobile Phone Use and Health (COSMOS) (N = 78,437). Frequency of headache, migraine, and information on mobile phone use, including use of hands-free devices and frequency of texting, were self-reported. We collected objective operator data to obtain regression calibrated estimates of voice call duration. In the model mutually adjusted for call-time and text messaging, participants in the high category of call-time showed an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 1.04 (95 % CI: 0.94-1.15), with no clear trend of reporting headache with increasing call-time. However, we found an increased risk of weekly headache (OR = 1.40, 95 % CI: 1.25-1.56) in the high category of text messaging, with a clear increase in reporting headache with increasing texting. Due to the negligible exposure to RF-EMFs from texting, our results suggest that mechanisms other than RF-EMFs are responsible for the increased risk of headache that we found among mobile phone users.

Efficacy of mobile phone intervention to increase male partner antenatal care attendance for HIV testing in Moshi municipal, Tanzania: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

HIV partner counselling and testing in antenatal care (ANC) is a crucial strategy to raise the number of males who know their HIV status. However, in many settings like Tanzania, male involvement in antenatal care remains low, and there is a definite need for innovative strategies to increase male partner involvement. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of mobile phone intervention increase male partner ANC attendance for HIV testing in Moshi municipal, Tanzania.

METHODS

Between April and July 2022, we enrolled pregnant women presenting to a first ANC visit at Majengo and St. Joseph reproductive health facilities without their male partners. Eligible pregnant women were randomly assigned to invitation of their male partners either via phone calls, text messages from clinic staff and verbal invites from pregnant partners (intervention arm) or verbal invites only from the pregnant partners (control arm). Neither healthcare provider nor participant were blinded. The primary outcome was the proportion of male partners who attended ANC with their pregnant partners during a follow-up period of two consecutive visits. The secondary outcome measure was HIV testing among male partners following the invitation. Participants were analyzed as originally assigned (intention to treat).

RESULTS

A total of 350 pregnant women presenting to ANC for the first time were enrolled, with 175 women enrolled in each arm. The efficacy of male attendance with their pregnant women following the invitations was 83.4% (147/175) in the intervention arm and 46.3% (81/175) in the control arm. Overall, the results suggest a positive and statistically significant average treatment effect among men who received mobile phone intervention on ANC attendance. For the secondary outcome, the percent of male partners who accepted HIV counselling and testing was 99.3% (146/147) in the intervention arm and 93.8% (76/81) in the control arm. Married men were having higher odds of ANC attendance compared with single men (aOR:6.40(3.26-12.56), Males with multigravida women were having lower odds of ANC attendance compared with primigravida women (aOR:0.17(0.09-0.33).

CONCLUSION

The study demonstrates that supplementing verbal invitations with mobile phone calls and text messages from clinic staff can significantly increase male partner ANC attendance and HIV testing. This combined approach is recommended in improving ANC attendance and HIV testing of male partners who do not accompany their pregnant partners to antenatal clinics in the first visits.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PACTR202209769991162.

YJMob100K: City-scale and longitudinal dataset of anonymized human mobility trajectories

Modeling and predicting human mobility trajectories in urban areas is an essential task for various applications including transportation modeling, disaster management, and urban planning. The recent availability of large-scale human movement data collected from mobile devices has enabled the development of complex human mobility prediction models. However, human mobility prediction methods are often trained and tested on different datasets, due to the lack of open-source large-scale human mobility datasets amid privacy concerns, posing a challenge towards conducting transparent performance comparisons between methods. To this end, we created an open-source, anonymized, metropolitan scale, and longitudinal (75 days) dataset of 100,000 individuals' human mobility trajectories, using mobile phone location data provided by Yahoo Japan Corporation (currently renamed to LY Corporation), named YJMob100K. The location pings are spatially and temporally discretized, and the metropolitan area is undisclosed to protect users' privacy. The 90-day period is composed of 75 days of business-as-usual and 15 days during an emergency, to test human mobility predictability during both normal and anomalous situations.

Mobile Apps to Support Mental Health Response in Natural Disasters: Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Disasters are becoming more frequent due to the impact of extreme weather events attributed to climate change, causing loss of lives, property, and psychological trauma. Mental health response to disasters emphasizes prevention and mitigation, and mobile health (mHealth) apps have been used for mental health promotion and treatment. However, little is known about their use in the mental health components of disaster management.

OBJECTIVE

This scoping review was conducted to explore the use of mobile phone apps for mental health responses to natural disasters and to identify gaps in the literature.

METHODS

We identified relevant keywords and subject headings and conducted comprehensive searches in 6 electronic databases. Studies in which participants were exposed to a man-made disaster were included if the sample also included some participants exposed to a natural hazard. Only full-text studies published in English were included. The initial titles and abstracts of the unique papers were screened by 2 independent review authors. Full texts of the selected papers that met the inclusion criteria were reviewed by the 2 independent reviewers. Data were extracted from each selected full-text paper and synthesized using a narrative approach based on the outcome measures, duration, frequency of use of the mobile phone apps, and the outcomes. This scoping review was reported according to the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews).

RESULTS

Of the 1398 papers retrieved, 5 were included in this review. A total of 3 studies were conducted on participants exposed to psychological stress following a disaster while 2 were for disaster relief workers. The mobile phone apps for the interventions included Training for Life Skills, Sonoma Rises, Headspace, Psychological First Aid, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Behavioural Health Disaster Response Apps. The different studies assessed the effectiveness or efficacy of the mobile app, feasibility, acceptability, and characteristics of app use or predictors of use. Different measures were used to assess the effectiveness of the apps' use as either the primary or secondary outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

A limited number of studies are exploring the use of mobile phone apps for mental health responses to disasters. The 5 studies included in this review showed promising results. Mobile apps have the potential to provide effective mental health support before, during, and after disasters. However, further research is needed to explore the potential of mobile phone apps in mental health responses to all hazards.

Digital Interventions for Recreational Cannabis Use Among Young Adults: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Behavior Change Technique Analysis of Randomized Controlled Studies

BACKGROUND

The high prevalence of cannabis use among young adults poses substantial global health concerns due to the associated acute and long-term health and psychosocial risks. Digital modalities, including websites, digital platforms, and mobile apps, have emerged as promising tools to enhance the accessibility and availability of evidence-based interventions for young adults for cannabis use. However, existing reviews do not consider young adults specifically, combine cannabis-related outcomes with those of many other substances in their meta-analytical results, and do not solely target interventions for cannabis use.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and active ingredients of digital interventions designed specifically for cannabis use among young adults living in the community.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic search of 7 databases for empirical studies published between database inception and February 13, 2023, assessing the following outcomes: cannabis use (frequency, quantity, or both) and cannabis-related negative consequences. The reference lists of included studies were consulted, and forward citation searching was also conducted. We included randomized studies assessing web- or mobile-based interventions that included a comparator or control group. Studies were excluded if they targeted other substance use (eg, alcohol), did not report cannabis use separately as an outcome, did not include young adults (aged 16-35 y), had unpublished data, were delivered via teleconference through mobile phones and computers or in a hospital-based setting, or involved people with mental health disorders or substance use disorders or dependence. Data were independently extracted by 2 reviewers using a pilot-tested extraction form. Authors were contacted to clarify study details and obtain additional data. The characteristics of the included studies, study participants, digital interventions, and their comparators were summarized. Meta-analysis results were combined using a random-effects model and pooled as standardized mean differences.

RESULTS

Of 6606 unique records, 19 (0.29%) were included (n=6710 participants). Half (9/19, 47%) of these articles reported an intervention effect on cannabis use frequency. The digital interventions included in the review were mostly web-based. A total of 184 behavior change techniques were identified across the interventions (range 5-19), and feedback on behavior was the most frequently used (17/19, 89%). Digital interventions for young adults reduced cannabis use frequency at the 3-month follow-up compared to control conditions (including passive and active controls) by -6.79 days of use in the previous month (95% CI -9.59 to -4.00; P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate the potential of digital interventions to reduce cannabis use in young adults but raise important questions about what optimal exposure dose could be more effective, both in terms of intervention duration and frequency. Further high-quality research is still needed to investigate the effects of digital interventions on cannabis use among young adults.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42020196959; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=196959.

The Effect of a Program to Improve Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet on Cardiometabolic Parameters in 7034 Spanish Workers

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular and metabolic diseases include a large group of pathologies and constitute one of the most serious chronic health problems facing the 21st century, with high rates of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Unhealthy diets influence the development of these pathologies. The Mediterranean diet can be an important part in the treatment of these diseases. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of a program that aims to increase adherence to the Mediterranean diet on the improvement of different cardiometabolic risk parameters.

METHODS

A prospective intervention study was carried out on 7034 Spanish workers. Prior to the intervention, 22 cardiometabolic risk scales were evaluated. Participants in this study were informed both orally and in writing of the characteristics and benefits of the Mediterranean diet and were given the website of the Ministry of Health, Consumption and Social Welfare of Spain, which provides advice on nutrition. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was reinforced by sending a monthly SMS to their mobile phones. After six months of follow-up, the 22 risk scales were re-evaluated to assess changes. Means and standard deviations were calculated using Student's t test to analyse quantitative variables. Prevalence was calculated using the Chi-square test when the variables were qualitative.

RESULTS

All the cardiometabolic risk scales studied decreased after implementing a program to improve and enhance adherence to the Mediterranean diet. The number of losses in the sample was very low, standing at 4.31%.

CONCLUSIONS

The Mediterranean diet is effective in reducing all cardiovascular risk scales evaluated. The mean values and prevalence of high values of the different cardiometabolic risk scales analysed led to lower values after the implementation of the program to increase adherence to the Mediterranean diet. We observed a significant positive difference in metabolic age in both sexes. We have obtained a significant improvement in the insulin resistance index, especially in the SPISE-IR index, data that we have not found in previous publications. Easy access to the Internet and new information and communication technologies facilitate adherence to a diet and can reduce the number of losses.

Impact of Radiofrequency Exposure From Mobile Phones on the Risk of Developing Brain Tumors in Korean and Japanese Adolescents: A MOBI-Kids Case-control Study

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to examine the association between risk of brain tumors and radiofrequency (RF) exposure from mobile phones among young people in Korea and Japan.

METHODS

This case-control study of brain tumors in young people was conducted in Korea and Japan under the framework of the international MOBI-Kids study. We included 118 patients diagnosed with brain tumors between 2011 and 2015 and 236 matched appendicitis controls aged 10-24 years. Information on mobile phone use was collected through face-to-face interviews. A detailed RF exposure algorithm, based on the MOBI-Kids algorithm and modified to account for the specificities of Japanese and Korean phones and networks, was used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) for total cumulative specific energy using conditional logistic regression.

RESULTS

The adjusted ORs in the highest tertile of cumulative call time at 1 year before the reference date were 1.61 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72-3.60) for all brain tumors and 0.70 (95% CI, 0.16-3.03) for gliomas, with no indication of a trend with exposure. The ORs for glioma specifically, were below 1 in the lowest exposure category.

CONCLUSION

This study provided no evidence of a causal association between mobile phone use and risk of brain tumors as a whole or of glioma specifically. Further research will be required to evaluate the impact of newer technologies of communication in the future.

Crafting Ethnographic Relationships During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Germany Using Voice-Based Technologies

Drawing on a two-year ethnography of care practices during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, we discuss the affordances of voice-based technologies (smartphones, basic mobile phones, and landline telephones) in collecting ethnographic data and crafting relationships with participants. We illustrate how such technologies allowed us to move with participants, eased data collection through the social expectations around their use, and reoriented our attention to the multiple qualities of sound. Adapting research on the performativity of technology, we argue that voice-based technologies integrated us into participants' everyday lives while also maintaining physical distance in times of infectious sociality.

Pilot Study of a Mobile Phone Chatbot for Medication Adherence and Toxicity Management Among Patients With GI Cancers on Capecitabine

PURPOSE

Capecitabine is an oral chemotherapy used to treat many gastrointestinal cancers. Its complex dosing and narrow therapeutic index make medication adherence and toxicity management crucial for quality care.

METHODS

We conducted a pilot study of PENNY-GI, a mobile phone text messaging-based chatbot that leverages algorithmic surveys and natural language processing to promote medication adherence and toxicity management among patients with gastrointestinal cancers on capecitabine. Eligibility initially included all capecitabine-containing regimens but was subsequently restricted to capecitabine monotherapy because of challenges in integrating PENNY-GI with radiation and intravenous chemotherapy schedules. We used design thinking principles and real-time data on safety, accuracy, and usefulness to make iterative refinements to PENNY-GI with the goal of minimizing the proportion of text messaging exchanges with incorrect medication or symptom management recommendations. All patients were invited to participate in structured exit interviews to provide feedback on PENNY-GI.

RESULTS

We enrolled 40 patients (median age 64.5 years, 52.5% male, 62.5% White, 55.0% with colorectal cancer, 50.0% on capecitabine monotherapy). We identified 284 of 3,895 (7.3%) medication-related and 13 of 527 (2.5%) symptom-related text messaging exchanges with incorrect recommendations. In exit interviews with 24 patients, participants reported finding the medication reminders reliable and user-friendly, but the symptom management tool was too simplistic to be helpful.

CONCLUSION

Although PENNY-GI provided accurate recommendations in >90% of text messaging exchanges, we identified multiple limitations with respect to the intervention's generalizability, usefulness, and scalability. Lessons from this pilot study should inform future efforts to develop and implement digital health interventions in oncology.

Implementation of free-draft text messaging to enhance care retention and satisfaction for persons living with HIV infection

Eligible persons with HIV infection can receive client-centered case management to coordinate medical and social services. Novel mobile health interventions could improve effective case management and retention in care, an important goal to help end the HIV epidemic. Using a hybrid type I effectiveness-implementation design, we assessed whether access to bidirectional, free-draft secure text messaging with a case manager and clinic pharmacist could improve client satisfaction and care retention in a Southern academic HIV clinic. Sixty-four clients enrolled between November 2019 and March 2020, had a median age of 39 years, and were mostly male, single, and African-American. Heavy app users texted over 100 times (n = 6) over the course of the 12-month intervention while others never texted (n = 12). App usage peaked during months of clinic closure due to COVID-19. Most participants reported high satisfaction with the app and planned continued usage after study completion. Changes in clinic retention and virologic suppression rates were not observed, a result confounded by practice changes due to COVID-19. High usage and satisfaction of free-draft text messaging in case-managed HIV clients supports inclusion of this communication option in routine HIV clinical care.

What's that on Your Phone? Effects of Mobile Device Task Type on Pedestrian Performance

BACKGROUND

The number of accidents due to distracted pedestrian is on the rise and many governments and institutions are enacting public policies which restrict texting while walking. However, pedestrians do more than just texting when they use their mobile devices on the go.

OBJECTIVE

Exploring pedestrian multitasking, this paper aims to examine the effects of mobile device task type on pedestrian performance outcomes.

METHOD

We performed two studies in lab simulations where 78 participants were asked to perform different tasks on a mobile device (playing a game, reading, writing an email, texting one person, group texting) while performing a pedestrian visual discrimination task while either standing or walking on a treadmill. Behavioral performance as well as neurophysiological data are collected.

RESULTS

Results show that compared to a no-phone control, multitasking with any of the tasks on a mobile device leads to poor performance on a pedestrian visual discrimination task. Playing a game is the most cognitively demanding task and leads to the greatest performance degradation.

CONCLUSION

Our studies show that multitasking with a mobile device has the potential to negatively impact pedestrian safety, regardless of task type. However, the impacts of different mobile device tasks are not all equivalent. More research is needed to tease out the different effects of these various tasks and to design mobile applications which effectively and safely capture pedestrians' attention.

APPLICATION

Public policy, infrastructure, and smart technologies can be used to mitigate the negative effects of mobile multitasking. A more thorough understanding of mobile device task-specific factors at play can help tailor these counter-measures to better aid distracted pedestrians.

Using mobile phone data to evaluate access to essential services following natural hazards

Natural hazards bring about changes in the access to essential services such as grocery stores, healthcare, schools, and day care because of facility closures, transportation system disruption, evacuation orders, power outages, and other barriers to access. Understanding changes in access to essential services following a disruption is critical to ensure equitable recovery and more resilient communities. However, past approaches to understanding facility closures and inaccessibility such as surveys and interviews are labor-intensive and of limited geographic scope. In this article, we develop an approach to understanding facility-level inaccessibility across a broad geographic area based on location-based services data collected from cell phones. This approach supplements current approaches and helps both researchers and emergency response planners better understand which communities lose access to essential services and for how long. We demonstrate our approach by analyzing loss of access to supermarkets, schools, healthcare facilities, and home improvement stores in Southwest Florida leading up to and following the landfall of Hurricane Irma in 2017.

The circular argument relationship between mindfulness and mobile phone addiction: evidence based on the diary method

The link between civilization and technology has long been a hotspot of research around the world. Mobile phone addiction has become a common social phenomenon with advances in society and technology, wreaking havoc on people's emotional health, physical fitness, and personal connections. Considering the positive effects of mindfulness, this study used the diary method to explore the relationship between mindfulness and mobile phone addiction based on the mindfulness reperceiving model. We conducted a 14-day diary study among 198 Chinese youth participants. The results showed that there was a circular argument relationship between mindfulness and mobile phone addiction: mindfulness of the previous day could significantly negatively predict mobile phone addiction of the following day, and vice versa. These results, based on the mindfulness reperceiving model, effectively extend theories and profoundly reveal the circular argument relationship between mindfulness and mobile phone addiction. Besides, it also provides new thought for the mechanism of the interrelationship between mindfulness and mobile phone addiction, as an important theoretical support for the intervention of mobile phone addiction from the perspective of mindfulness.

Detrimental effects of electromagnetic radiation emitted from cell phone on embryo morphokinetics and blastocyst viability in mice

Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) has deleterious effects on sperm motility and viability, as well as oocyte membrane and organelle structure. The aim was to assess the effects of cell phone radiation on preimplantation embryo morphokinetics and blastocyst viability in mice. For superovulation, 20 female mice were treated with intraperitoneal (IP) injections of 10 IU pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (Folligon® PMSG), followed by 10 IU of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) after 48 h. The zygotes (n = 150) from the control group were incubated for 4 days. The experimental zygotes (n = 150) were exposed to a cell phone emitting EMR with a frequency range 900-1800 MHz for 30 min on day 1. Then, all embryos were cultured in the time-lapse system and annotated based on time points from the 2-cell stage (t2) to hatched blastocyst (tHDyz), as well as abnormal cleavage patterns. Blastocyst viability was assessed using Hoechst and propidium iodide staining. Significant increases (P < 0.05) were observed in the cleavage division time points of t2, t8, t10, and t12 of the experimental group compared with the controls. In terms of blastocyst formation parameters, a delay in embryo development was observed in the experimental group compared with the controls. Data analysis of the time intervals between the two groups showed a significant difference in the s3 time interval (P < 0.05). Also, the rates of fragmentation, reverse cleavage, vacuole formation, and embryo arrest were significantly higher in the experimental group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the cell survival rate in the experimental group was lower than the control group (P < 0.05). Exposure to EMR has detrimental consequences for preimplantation embryo development in mice. These effects can manifest as defects in the cleavage stage and impaired blastocyst formation, leading to lower cell viability.

The Effect of Media Distractions on Women During Breastfeeding and Infant Care: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Background: In modern world, the pervasive use of media technologies has seen a significant increase across various domains. The study aimed to assess the level of distraction among lactating women during feeding and infant care, along with exploring associated factors. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 120 lactating mothers who visited comprehensive health centers in Zanjan City in 2023. The inclusion criteria were lactating mothers older than 18 years, who were within 42 days postpartum. A multistage sampling method was used for participant selection. Data were gathered using a standard maternal distraction questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) test with a confidence level of 95%. Results: The study found that smartphone use (69.7%) was the most common source of distraction for mothers during breastfeeding, while reading books (17.5%) was the least distracting. In addition, 85% of mothers watched television while caring for their babies (except during breastfeeding), and a significant percentage used landline phones (92.5%) and mobile phones (79.2%). It was noted that older mothers tended to be less distracted during feeding or baby care compared with young mothers. Furthermore, maternal attention during baby feeding increased with higher education levels and having more children (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The study concludes that young mothers with lower levels of education experience significantly high levels of distraction while caring for their babies or breastfeeding. Given the substantial availability of media products, interventions are needed to raise mothers' awareness about the importance of maintaining eye contact with their babies and implementing strategies for managing distractions.

Rosmarinic Acid Protects the Testes of Rats against Cell Phone and Ultra-high Frequency Waves Induced Toxicity

Background

Cell phone and Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) waves produce oxidative stress and cause testicular toxicity. This investigation was directed to evaluate the effectiveness of Rosmarinic Acid (RA) against oxidative stress caused by UHF radiation in rats.

Methods

Forty-two male Wistar rats were divided into six groups. The control received 5 mL normal saline (0.9% NaCl) by gavage, the cell phone group received 915 MHz, the UHF waves group just received 2450 MHz, the RA/cell phone group received RA plus 915 MHz, RA/UHF waves group received RA plus 2450 MHz, and RA just received RA (20 mg/kg). After 30 days of consecutive radiation, the biochemical and histopathological parameters of their testes were measured. Statistical comparison was made using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's post hoc test.

Results

Cell phone and UHF wave radiation significantly diminished the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione content (P<0.001). On the opposite, UHF significantly increased oxidative stress indices including malondialdehyde level, nitric oxide level, and protein carbonyl content (P<0.001). UHF also significantly reduced the number of Sertoli cells, spermatogonia, primary spermatocyte, epithelial height, and seminiferous tubular and luminal diameters (P<0.001). RA, as an effective antioxidant, reverses the above-mentioned harms and moderates the adverse effects of UHF on the testes of rats by significantly diminishing the oxidative stress indices and antioxidant enzyme rise and improving the histological parameters (P<0.001).

Conclusion

RA can protect the testes of rats from UHF-induced toxicity by reducing oxidative stress. RA as a food supplement might be useful for protecting humans exposed to UHF environmental contamination.

Effectiveness of a Social Networking Site Based Automatic Mobile Message Providing System on Glycemic Control in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

BACKGRUOUND

This study investigated the effectiveness of a social networking site (SNS)-based automatic mobile message providing system on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

METHODS

A 3-month, randomized, open-label, controlled, parallel-group trial was conducted. One hundred and ten participants with T2DM were randomized to a mobile message system (MMS) (n=55) or control group (n=55). The MMS group received protocolbased automated messages two times per day for 10 weeks regarding diabetes self-management through KakaoTalk SNS messenger. The primary outcome was the difference in the change in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels (%) from baseline to week 12.

RESULTS

HbA1c levels were more markedly decreased in the MMS group (8.4%±0.7% to 8.0%±1.1%) than in the control group (8.5%±0.8% to 8.4%±0.8%), resulting in a significant between-group difference (P=0.027). No differences were observed in changes in fasting glucose levels, lipid profiles, and the number of participants who experienced hypoglycemia, or in changes in lifestyle behavior between groups. However, the self-monitoring of blood glucose frequency was significantly increased in the MMS group compared to the control group (P=0.003). In addition, sleep duration was increased in the MMS group, but was not changed in the control group.

CONCLUSION

An SNS-based automatic mobile message providing system was effective in improving glycemic control in patients in T2DM. Studies which based on a more individualized protocol, and investigate longer beneficial effect and sustainability will be required in the future.

[Analysis of the interruptions generated by the use of smartphones among Primary Care Health professionals]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the particular use of smartphones among Primary Care Health professionals during the care act and its consequences.

DESIGN

Multicenter, cross-sectional study in a primary care setting, carried out in 3phases: survey of professionals, checklist of professionals and survey of patients.

PARTICIPANTS

Primary Care Health professionals from the Territorial Primary Care Management of Barcelona (online survey) and health professionals (checklist) and patients (patient survey) from 2primary care teams in Barcelona city.

MAIN MEASUREMENTS

Bivariate descriptive analysis of the variables from the different surveys. Use of the mobile phone in the consultation, time, reason, type of use and perception of appropriateness. Characteristics of interruptions.

RESULTS

In relation to patients, 31% consider that the health professional should only consult the mobile phone if it is to resolve some aspect of their reason for consultation and 10% consider it a lack of respect. Eighteen percent of patients describe interruptions, the majority lasting between 10 and 30s and considering them mostly avoidable. In relation to professionals, the majority (96%) claim to have their mobile phone in the consultation and on mute (77%), with only 2% recognizing its use in the presence of the patient, which is in line with what the patients describe. Furthermore, 80% of professionals say they ask permission to use it, contrasting with what patients report (50%). Eighty-five percent of professionals consider its use appropriate.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of mobile phones is perceived by patients as an interruption that can affect the care act, generating dissatisfaction, which must be taken into account by health professionals. Healthcare organizations should establish recommendations regarding the use of mobile phones in consultations.

A Mobile App for Comprehensive Symptom Management in People With Parkinson's Disease: A Pilot Usability Study

There is an increasing need for highly accessible health management platforms for comprehensive symptoms of Parkinson disease. Mobile apps encompassing nonmotor symptoms have been rarely developed since these symptoms are often subjective and difficult to reflect what individuals actually experience. The study developed an app for comprehensive symptom management and evaluated its usability and feasibility. A single-group repeated measurement experimental design was used. Twenty-two participants used the app for 6 weeks. Monitoring of nonmotor symptoms, games to address motor symptoms, and medication management were incorporated in the app. Quantitative outcomes were self-assessed through an online questionnaire, and one-on-one telephone interviews were conducted to understand the user's point of view. The successful experience of self-monitoring had improved participants' self-efficacy ( Z = -3.634, P < .001) and medication adherence ( Z = -3.371, P = .001). Facilitators included a simple-to-use interface, entertaining content, and medication helps. Barriers included simple forgetfulness and digital literacy, including unfamiliarity with mobile phone manipulation itself. The study suggested insight into the app use related to acceptability of mobile technology. The preliminary effects on self-efficacy and medication adherence will guide future nursing interventions using mobile health. Our approach will contribute to improving the continuum of care for Parkinson disease by promoting self-monitoring of symptoms.

An empirical investigation to understand mobile phone users' behavioural intention to give their end-of-life mobile phones for formal recycling

Mobile phones have turned into a highly essential device for numerous individuals. Swift innovation and decrease in in-use lifespan have increased the generation of end-of-life mobile phones (EOL-MPs). Lesser formal recycling of EOL-MPs has detrimental outcomes on the environment, human health, and circular economy. Therefore, this research was undertaken to investigate factors impacting mobile phone users' behavioural intention to give their EOL-MPs for formal recycling. The conceptual model was developed by integrating the theory of planned behaviour, norm activation model, and value-belief-norm theory. Responses were collected from mobile phone users aged 18 and above residing in Bengaluru, Mangaluru, and Huballi-Dharvad cities of Karnataka state, India. 1135 responses were analysed by applying partial least squares structural equation modelling. Incentives was figured out to be the most positively impacting construct on behavioural intention. Followed by awareness of consequences, social media, past recycling experience, and recycling attitude. Whereas risk perception regarding information security and convenience of recycling negatively impacts behavioural intention. Personal norms get activated by awareness of consequences and ascription of responsibility. As a result, personal norms positively impact behavioural intention. In addition, biospheric values also positively impact personal norms. The outcomes of PLSpredict signify that the conceptual model has high out-of-sample predictive power. The outcomes of this research can be utilized by various stakeholders like e-waste collection organisations, e-waste recycling organisations, mobile phone manufacturing companies, city corporations, educational institutions, etc for improving sustainable end-of-life management of EOL-MPs.

Participatory development of an mHealth intervention delivered in general practice to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour of patients with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes (ENERGISED)

BACKGROUND

The escalating global prevalence of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes presents a major public health challenge. Physical activity plays a critical role in managing (pre)diabetes; however, adherence to physical activity recommendations remains low. The ENERGISED trial was designed to address these challenges by integrating mHealth tools into the routine practice of general practitioners, aiming for a significant, scalable impact in (pre)diabetes patient care through increased physical activity and reduced sedentary behaviour.

METHODS

The mHealth intervention for the ENERGISED trial was developed according to the mHealth development and evaluation framework, which includes the active participation of (pre)diabetes patients. This iterative process encompasses four sequential phases: (a) conceptualisation to identify key aspects of the intervention; (b) formative research including two focus groups with (pre)diabetes patients (n = 14) to tailor the intervention to the needs and preferences of the target population; (c) pre-testing using think-aloud patient interviews (n = 7) to optimise the intervention components; and (d) piloting (n = 10) to refine the intervention to its final form.

RESULTS

The final intervention comprises six types of text messages, each embodying different behaviour change techniques. Some of the messages, such as those providing interim reviews of the patients' weekly step goal or feedback on their weekly performance, are delivered at fixed times of the week. Others are triggered just in time by specific physical behaviour events as detected by the Fitbit activity tracker: for example, prompts to increase walking pace are triggered after 5 min of continuous walking; and prompts to interrupt sitting following 30 min of uninterrupted sitting. For patients without a smartphone or reliable internet connection, the intervention is adapted to ensure inclusivity. Patients receive on average three to six messages per week for 12 months. During the first six months, the text messaging is supplemented with monthly phone counselling to enable personalisation of the intervention, assistance with technical issues, and enhancement of adherence.

CONCLUSIONS

The participatory development of the ENERGISED mHealth intervention, incorporating just-in-time prompts, has the potential to significantly enhance the capacity of general practitioners for personalised behavioural counselling on physical activity in (pre)diabetes patients, with implications for broader applications in primary care.

[Development of Wireless Wearable Sleep Monitoring System Based on EEG Signal]

A wireless wearable sleep monitoring system based on EEG signals is developed. The collected EEG signals are wirelessly sent to the PC or mobile phone Bluetooth APP for real-time display. The system is small in size, low in power consumption, and light in weight. It can be worn on the patient's forehead and is comfortable. It can be applied to home sleep monitoring scenarios and has good application value. The key performance indicators of the system are compared with the industry-related medical device measurement standards, and the measurement results are better than the special standards.

Mobile phone text messaging for medication adherence in secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally, accounting for almost 18 million deaths annually. People with CVDs have a five times greater chance of suffering a recurrent cardiovascular event than people without known CVDs. Although drug interventions have been shown to be cost-effective in reducing the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events, adherence to medication remains suboptimal. As a scalable and cost-effective approach, mobile phone text messaging presents an opportunity to convey health information, deliver electronic reminders, and encourage behaviour change. However, it is uncertain whether text messaging can improve medication adherence and clinical outcomes. This is an update of a Cochrane review published in 2017.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the benefits and harms of mobile phone text messaging for improving medication adherence in people with CVDs compared to usual care.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, four other databases, and two trial registers. We also checked the reference lists of all primary included studies and relevant systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The date of the latest search was 30 August 2023.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) with participants with established arterial occlusive events. We included trials investigating interventions using short message service (SMS) or multimedia messaging service (MMS) with the aim of improving adherence to medication for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular events. The comparator was usual care. We excluded cluster-RCTs and quasi-RCTs.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We used standard Cochrane methods. Our primary outcomes were medication adherence, fatal cardiovascular events, non-fatal cardiovascular events, and combined CVD event. Secondary outcomes were low-density lipoprotein cholesterol for the effect of statins, blood pressure for antihypertensive drugs, heart rate for the effect of beta-blockers, urinary 11-dehydrothromboxane B2 for the antiplatelet effects of aspirin, adverse effects, and patient-reported experience. We used GRADE to assess the certainty of the evidence for each outcome.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 18 RCTs involving a total of 8136 participants with CVDs. We identified 11 new studies in the review update and seven studies in the previous version of the review. Participants had various CVDs including acute coronary syndrome, coronary heart disease, stroke, myocardial infarction, and angina. All studies were conducted in middle- and high-income countries, with no studies conducted in low-income countries. The mean age of participants was 53 to 64 years. Participants were recruited from hospitals or cardiac rehabilitation facilities. Follow-up ranged from one to 12 months. There was variation in the characteristics of text messages amongst studies (e.g. delivery method, frequency, theoretical grounding, content used, personalisation, and directionality). The content of text messages varied across studies, but generally included medication reminders and healthy lifestyle information such as diet, physical activity, and weight loss. Text messages offered advice, motivation, social support, and health education to promote behaviour changes and regular medication-taking. We assessed risk of bias for all studies as high, as all studies had at least one domain at unclear or high risk of bias. Medication adherence Due to different evaluation score systems and inconsistent definitions applied for the measurement of medication adherence, we did not conduct meta-analysis for medication adherence. Ten out of 18 studies showed a beneficial effect of mobile phone text messaging for medication adherence compared to usual care, whereas the other eight studies showed either a reduction or no difference in medication adherence with text messaging compared to usual care. Overall, the evidence is very uncertain about the effects of mobile phone text messaging for medication adherence when compared to usual care. Fatal cardiovascular events Text messaging may have little to no effect on fatal cardiovascular events compared to usual care (odds ratio 0.83, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.47 to 1.45; 4 studies, 1654 participants; low-certainty evidence). Non-fatal cardiovascular events We found very low-certainty evidence that text messaging may have little to no effect on non-fatal cardiovascular events. Two studies reported non-fatal cardiovascular events, neither of which found evidence of a difference between groups. Combined CVD events We found very low-certainty evidence that text messaging may have little to no effect on combined CVD events. Only one study reported combined CVD events, and did not find evidence of a difference between groups. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol Text messaging may have little to no effect on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol compared to usual care (mean difference (MD) -1.79 mg/dL, 95% CI -4.71 to 1.12; 8 studies, 4983 participants; very low-certainty evidence). Blood pressure Text messaging may have little to no effect on systolic blood pressure (MD -0.93 mmHg, 95% CI -3.55 to 1.69; 8 studies, 5173 participants; very low-certainty evidence) and diastolic blood pressure (MD -1.00 mmHg, 95% CI -2.49 to 0.50; 5 studies, 3137 participants; very low-certainty evidence) when compared to usual care. Heart rate Text messaging may have little to no effect on heart rate compared to usual care (MD -0.46 beats per minute, 95% CI -1.74 to 0.82; 4 studies, 2946 participants; very low-certainty evidence).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Due to limited evidence, we are uncertain if text messaging reduces medication adherence, fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events, and combined cardiovascular events in people with cardiovascular diseases when compared to usual care. Furthermore, text messaging may result in little or no effect on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood pressure, and heart rate compared to usual care. The included studies were of low methodological quality, and no studies assessed the effects of text messaging in low-income countries or beyond the 12-month follow-up. Long-term and high-quality randomised trials are needed, particularly in low-income countries.

Driving and mobile phone use: Work addiction predicts hazardous but not excessive mobile phone use in a longitudinal study of young adults

Background and objectives

Work addiction (WA), characterized by dimensions such as overcommitment, difficulties in detachment from work, and work-life imbalance, is presumed to be associated with increased smartphone usage, even during risky activities like driving. The study investigated the connection between WA and future problematic and hazardous smartphone use, considering personality factors: anxiety, rumination, and worry.

Methods

A three-wave longitudinal study (N = 1,866) was conducted from March to July 2019, June to September 2020, and June to November 2021, involving a representative sample of 18-34-year-old residents in Hungary's capital. The study employed Hungarian versions of the Bergen Work Addiction Scale, Problematic Mobile Phone Use Questionnaire, Ruminative Response Scale, Anxiety subscale of the Brief Symptom Inventory 18, and Penn-State Worry Questionnaire. Additionally, author-developed questions on mobile phone use while driving were included.

Results

At baseline, those at risk for WA showed more frequent mobile phone use while driving at both time points 2 and 3 compared to the non-risk group. Path analyses revealed rumination, anxiety at time 1, and worry at time 2 as significant mediators between baseline WA and mobile phone use while driving at time 3. However, when analyzing all three mediators together, only anxiety at time 1 and worry at time 2 remained significant.

Discussion and conclusion

This study demonstrates that WA predicts future mobile phone use while driving through mediation by anxiety and worry. Our findings add to the growing evidence highlighting the detrimental aspects of WA, emphasizing the need for improved prevention and treatment strategies.

Design and usability evaluation of a mobile application for self-care among Iranian adolescents

BACKGROUND

Mobile phones can be an ideal platform to engage adolescents to maintain, improve, and promote self-care. Therefore, the current study aims to design and evaluate the usability of a mobile application for self-care in adolescents with a user-centered approach.

METHODS

The current applied developmental study was done in four steps. The first step, polling and examining opinions was conducted through in-depth semi-structured interviews, with the aim of user-centered mobile application design with the involvement of 30 participants. The second step, extracting and compiling the educational content related to the main themes of the self-care app, was obtained from national and international guidelines and instructions, including the World Health Organization, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, etc. In the third step, the initial version of the mobile application was developed. In the fourth step, app usability was evaluated by 30 participants from the target group, 2 weeks after using the app, using the MAUQ questionnaire.

RESULTS

In the first step, 789 codes, 12 sub-categories, and 3 categories were extracted. These codes were used in the design of the mobile application. In the second step, educational information was prepared and arranged in 5 sections (physical activity, nutrition, personal hygiene, risky behaviors and safety and events) in the form of text, images and short videos. In the third step, the mobile application was designed based on step 1 and 2. This application operates in online mode and under the Android operating system. the initial version of the mobile application was developed using JavaScript and Typescript programming languages in a Visual Studio Code environment. In the fourth step, the participants the overall level of usability of the application as very good with an average of 6.28 ± 0.55. The highest average score was given to the user interface and satisfaction with an average score of 6.43 ± 0.58.

CONCLUSIONS

The "My-Care" app is a collaboratively designed smartphone app for adolescents that targets 5 dimensions of physical self-care. This app has the potential to teach, assess, and promote self-care among adolescents.

Utilisation of mobile phone interventions to improve the delivery of maternal health services in sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review protocol

INTRODUCTION

There has been significant progress in maternal health outcomes in the sub-Saharan African region since the early 1990s, in part due to digital and mobile health interventions. However, critical gaps and disparities remain. Mobile phones in particular have potential to reach underserved, hard-to-reach populations with underdeveloped infrastructure. In spite of the opportunities for mobile phones to address maternal mortality in the region, there is no extensive mapping of the available literature on mobile phone interventions that aim to improve access of maternal care in sub-Saharan Africa. The proposed scoping review aims to map literature on the nature and extent of mobile phones interventions designed to improve maternal care health services in the region.

METHODS

Conduct of this scoping review will be guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute approach. Literature searches will be conducted in multiple electronic databases, including MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, APA PsycInfo, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Global Health, African Index Medicus, Web of Science, and Applied Social Sciences Index & Abstracts. Grey literature will also be identified. Keyword searches will be used to identify articles. Two reviewers will independently screen eligible titles, abstracts and full articles with a third reviewer to help resolve any disputes. We will extract data on general study characteristics, population characteristics, concept, context, intervention details, study results, gaps and recommendations.

DISCUSSION

Understanding use of mobile phones among underserved, hard-to-reach populations with underdeveloped infrastructure to address maternal mortality in developing countries is very critical to informing health systems on potential effective strategies. This review will complement the evidence base on utilisation of mobile phone interventions to improve the delivery of maternal health services in sub-Saharan Africa.

Distribution of sleep components while working remotely

OBJECTIVES

The circadian system is the main regulator of almost all human physiological processes. The aim of this study was to assess sleep in the working population, in relation to the share of remote working.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

An online survey was conducted among students and staff representing 3 universities in Łódź, Poland (N = 1209). The participants were divided into 3 groups according to the percentage of time they worked remotely. Group I consisted of respondents performing tasks remotely for ≤45% of their working time; group II included respondents performing their duties remotely for >45-75% of their working time, and group III included those working >75% of their time remotely.

RESULTS

performing their duties remotely for >45-75% of their working time, and group III included those working >75% of their time remotely. Results: In the study, the authors found the association between the length of time spent on a computer, the percentage of time working remotely, and the occurrence of physical symptoms and the prevalence of sleep disorders. The most significant difference between working days and days off in terms of the mid-point of sleep (1.5 h) was observed in group I, where there was the greatest variability in the form of work performance. The participants who worked most of their time remotely (group III) shifted their bedtime to midnight, both on working days and on days off.

CONCLUSIONS

The study highlights that increased remote computer use leads to a shift in sleeping patterns towards midnight. The participants with later midpoint of sleep hours were found to have a higher incidence of sleep disorders. The prevalence of sleep disorders was significantly impacted by prolonged mobile phone use before bedtime and long hours of computer use. Thus, limiting both the time spent in front of a computer and the use of mobile phones before bedtime is recommended. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2024;37(1):34-44.

Digital interventions for healthy ageing and cognitive health in older adults: a systematic review of mixed method studies and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Currently, there is no systematic review to investigate the effectiveness of digital interventions for healthy ageing and cognitive health of older adults. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of digital intervention studies for facilitating healthy ageing and cognitive health and further identify the considerations of its application to older adults.

METHODS

A systematic review and meta-analysis of literature were conducted across CINAHL, Medline, ProQuest, Cochrane, Scopus, and PubMed databases following the PRISMA guideline. All included studies were appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool Checklist by independent reviewers. Meta-analyses were performed using JBI SUMARI software to compare quantitative studies. Thematic analyses were used for qualitative studies and synthesised into the emerging themes.

RESULTS

Thirteen studies were included. Quantitative results showed no statistically significant pooled effect between health knowledge and healthy behaviour (I2 =76, p=0.436, 95% CI [-0.32,0.74]), and between cardiovascular-related health risks and care dependency I2=0, p=0.426, 95% CI [0.90,1.29]). However, a statistically significant cognitive function preservation was found in older adults who had long-term use of laptop/cellphone devices and had engaged in the computer-based physical activity program (I2=0, p<0.001, 95% CI [0.01, 0.21]). Qualitative themes for the considerations of digital application to older adults were digital engagement, communication, independence, human connection, privacy, and cost.

CONCLUSIONS

Digital interventions used in older adults to facilitate healthy ageing were not always effective. Health knowledge improvement does not necessarily result in health risk reduction in that knowledge translation is key. Factors influencing knowledge translation (i.e., digital engagement, human coaching etc) were identified to determine the intervention effects. However, using digital devices appeared beneficial to maintain older adults' cognitive functions in the longer term. Therefore, the review findings suggest that the expanded meaning of a person-centred concept (i.e., from social, environmental, and healthcare system aspects) should be pursued in future practice. Privacy and cost concerns of technologies need ongoing scrutiny from policy bodies. Future research looking into the respective health benefits can provide more understanding of the current digital intervention applied to older adults.

STUDY REGISTRATION

PROSPERO record ID: CRD42023400707 https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=400707 .

Effects of an interactive web-based support system via mobile phone on preference-based patient participation in patients living with hypertension - a randomized controlled trial in primary care

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the effects of an interactive web-based support system via mobile phone on preference-based patient participation in patients with hypertension treated in primary care (compared with standard hypertensive care only).

DESIGN

A parallel group, non-blinded, randomized controlled trial, conducted October 2018-February 2021. Besides standard hypertensive care, the intervention group received eight weeks of support via mobile phone to facilitate self-monitoring and self-management, tentatively providing for augmented patient engagement.

SETTING

31 primary healthcare centers in Sweden.

SUBJECTS

949 patients treated for hypertension.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The effects on preference-based patient participation, that is, the match between a patient's preferences for and experiences of patient participation in their health and healthcare. This was measured with the 4Ps (Patient Preferences for Patient Participation) tool at baseline, after 8 weeks, and at 12 months. Data were registered electronically and analyzed with multilevel ordinal regression.

RESULTS

At baseline, 43-51% had a complete match between their preferences for and experiences of patient participation. There was an indication of a positive effect by a higher match for 'managing treatment myself' at 8-weeks in the intervention group. Such preference-based participation in their health and healthcare was reversed at 12 months, and no further effects of the intervention on preference-based patient participation persisted after 12 months.

CONCLUSION

The interactive web-based support system via mobile phone had a wavering effect on preference-based patient participation. There is a prevailing need to better understand how person-centered patient participation can be facilitated in primary care.

Symptom Reduction and Engagement in a Cognitive-Behavioral Mobile Phone App: A Study of User Profiling to Determine Prognostic Indicators

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the presence of latent transition profiles in a sample of users of a cognitive-behavioral mental health app for the general population. Users' baseline characteristics were used as predictors of the profiles. The role of engagement with the app in the transition profiles was examined.

METHOD

A total of 541 users completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the General Anxiety Disorder-7 when started using the app and 30 days after. Random-Intercept Latent Transition Analysis was implemented to identify users' profiles and transition patterns as classes. The age of the users and the Emotional Self-Awareness Scale-Revised (ESAS-R) were used as predictors of class membership at baseline. The Homework Rating Scale-Mobile Application (HRS-MA; as a measure of engagement) was used as a predictor of class membership at 30 days of app use.

RESULTS

A 3-class solution was obtained according to the severity of symptoms (from mild to moderately severe). Age and ESAS-R predicted class membership initially; the higher the age and ESAS-R, the higher the probability of starting using the app with lower distress levels. The HRS-MA predicted class membership at 30 days of app use; the higher the engagement for more symptomatic and younger users, the higher the probability of improvement. However, older users tended to engage less.

CONCLUSION

Our findings underpin the relevance of easily accessible digital interventions for young adults with mild to moderate mental health problems. Further studies and developments are required to enhance these apps for older cohorts.

Mobile phone use and brain tumour risk - COSMOS, a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Each new generation of mobile phone technology has triggered discussions about potential carcinogenicity from exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF). Available evidence has been insufficient to conclude about long-term and heavy mobile phone use, limited by differential recall and selection bias, or crude exposure assessment. The Cohort Study on Mobile Phones and Health (COSMOS) was specifically designed to overcome these shortcomings.

METHODS

We recruited participants in Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK 2007-2012. The baseline questionnaire assessed lifetime history of mobile phone use. Participants were followed through population-based cancer registers to identify glioma, meningioma, and acoustic neuroma cases during follow-up. Non-differential exposure misclassification was reduced by adjusting estimates of mobile phone call-time through regression calibration methods based on self-reported data and objective operator-recorded information at baseline. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for glioma, meningioma, and acoustic neuroma in relation to lifetime history of mobile phone use were estimated with Cox regression models with attained age as the underlying time-scale, adjusted for country, sex, educational level, and marital status.

RESULTS

264,574 participants accrued 1,836,479 person-years. During a median follow-up of 7.12 years, 149 glioma, 89 meningioma, and 29 incident cases of acoustic neuroma were diagnosed. The adjusted HR per 100 regression-calibrated cumulative hours of mobile phone call-time was 1.00 (95 % CI 0.98-1.02) for glioma, 1.01 (95 % CI 0.96-1.06) for meningioma, and 1.02 (95 % CI 0.99-1.06) for acoustic neuroma. For glioma, the HR for ≥ 1908 regression-calibrated cumulative hours (90th percentile cut-point) was 1.07 (95 % CI 0.62-1.86). Over 15 years of mobile phone use was not associated with an increased tumour risk; for glioma the HR was 0.97 (95 % CI 0.62-1.52).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that the cumulative amount of mobile phone use is not associated with the risk of developing glioma, meningioma, or acoustic neuroma.

Designing a sustainable reverse logistics network for used cell phones based on offline and online trading systems

Unsustainable production and consumption are driving a significant increase in global electronic waste, posing substantial environmental and human health risks. Even in more developed nations, there is the challenge of low collection rates. In response, we integrate offline and online trading systems and design a material efficiency strategy for used cell phones. We propose a new multi-objective optimization framework to maximize profit, carbon emissions reduction, and circularity in the process of recycling and treatment. Considering multi-period, multi-product, multi-echelon features, as well as price sensitive demand, incentives, and qualities, we established a new multi-objective mixed-integer nonlinear programming optimization model. An enhanced, Fast, Non-Dominated Solution Sorting Genetic Algorithm (ASDNSGA-II) is developed for the solution. We used operational data from a leading Chinese Internet platform to validate the proposed optimization framework. The results demonstrate that the reverse logistics network designed achieves a win-win situation regarding profit and carbon emission reduction. This significantly boosts confidence and motivation for engaging in recycling efforts. Online recycling shows robust profitability and carbon reduction capabilities. An effective coordination mechanism for pricing in both online and offline channels should be established, retaining offline methods while gradually transitioning towards online methods. To increase the collection rate, it is essential to jointly implement a transitional strategy, including recycling incentives and subsidy policies. Additionally, elevating customer environmental awareness should be viewed as a long-term strategy, mitigating the cost of increasing collection rates during the market maturity stage (high collection rates).

The relationship between mobile phone addiction and depression, anxiety, and sleep quality in medical students

This study investigates the prevalence of mobile phone addiction among medical students and its relationship with depression, anxiety, and sleep quality. The study was conducted at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences from 2019 to 2021, and it included medical students at four different levels of training. Participants were selected using a stratified random sampling method. All subjects completed the Mobile Phone Addiction Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Beck Depression Inventory, and Beck Anxiety Inventory through online electronic self-report questionnaires. Overall, 355 medical students were included in the study, with 203 (57.2%) being female. Mild and severe mobile phone addiction was reported by 83.7 and 2.5% of the students, respectively. Furthermore, the study's findings revealed significantly higher sleep quality disorder, depression, and anxiety scores among students with severe mobile phone addiction compared to other participants ( P  < 0.001, P  = 0.007, and P  < 0.001, respectively). Although mobile phone addiction was prevalent, severe addiction was rare among medical students. Nevertheless, severe addiction was associated with an increased prevalence of mental health problems and sleep disturbances, emphasizing the importance of interventions aimed at reducing mobile phone addiction and improving mental health.

Mobile Health Intervention Contents and Their Effects on the Healthcare of Patients with Left Ventricular Assist Devices: An Integrative Review

Self-care in daily life is important for patients with a left ventricular assist device. Mobile health interventions that use an application, the cloud, or telemonitoring enable active health management. This study reviewed the literature on the contents of mobile health interventions for patients with left ventricular assist devices and their effects. We searched four electronic databases (CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and MEDLINE) and reference lists in May 2022. The search terms consisted of "heart-assist devices" and "residence characteristics," combined with "mobile applications," "telemonitoring," "medical informatics applications," "cell*," "app*," "smartphone," and "cloud." In total, seven studies were included in the review. Mobile health interventions included (1) self-management contents and (2) interactions between patient and healthcare providers. The mobile health device and patient's health management were evaluated as a measure of the effect. This review provides a unique understanding for leveraging mobile health interventions as an effective approach to improve healthcare among patients with left ventricular assist devices. Future mobile health intervention strategies targeting these patients should fully consider the patient's perspective. Furthermore, they should be designed and applied to help with long-term health management, accompanied by an evaluation of their effectiveness on self-care improvement.

Individual differences, ADHD diagnosis, and driving performance: effects of traffic density and distraction type

The present study examined the impact of individual differences, attention, and memory deficits on distracted driving. Drivers with ADHD are more susceptible to distraction which results in more frequent collisions, violations, and licence suspensions. Consequently, the present investigation had 36 participants complete preliminary questionnaires, memory tasks, workload indices, and four, 4-min simulated driving scenarios to evaluate such impact. It was hypothesised ADHD diagnosis, type of cellular distraction, and traffic density would each differentially and substantively impact driving performance. Results indicated traffic density and distraction type significantly affected the objective driving facets measured, as well as subjective and secondary task performance. ADHD diagnosis directly impacted secondary task performance. Results further showed significant interactions between distraction type and traffic density on both brake pressure and steering wheel angle negatively impacting lateral and horizontal vehicle control. Altogether, these findings provide substantial empirical evidence for the deleterious effect of cellphone use on driving performance.Practitioner summary: This study examined how ADHD diagnosis, traffic density, and distraction type affect driver behaviour. Participants completed driving behaviour questionnaires, memory tasks, workload indices, and driving scenarios. Results showed that ADHD diagnosis impacted secondary task performance, while traffic and distractions significantly impacted driving performance as well secondary task performance and workload.

Mobile telephony radiation exerts genotoxic action and significantly enhances the effects of gamma radiation in human cells

I previously reported chromosomal damage in human peripheral blood lymphocytes (HPBLs) induced by: a) mobile telephony (MT) electromagnetic fields (EMFs)/electromagnetic radiation (EMR), b) a high caffeine dose, and c) the combination of the two stressors. HPBLs from the same subjects exposed to gamma radiation at doses 0.1, 0.3, or 0.5 Gy, displayed more aberrations than those exposed to MT EMFs or the high caffeine dose in a dose-dependent manner. When the cells exposed to these gamma radiation doses were pre-exposed to a single 15-min MT EMF exposure, the number of aberrations increased significantly more than the sum number of aberrations induced by the individual stressors in all subjects. Thus, MT EMF exposure at a power density ~136 times below the latest International Commission on Non- Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) exposure limit, apart from the fact that it is genotoxic by itself, significantly enhanced the genotoxic action of gamma radiation. Since gamma radiation at similar doses is applied for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, people should be aware of the increased risk during treatment periods. Comparison of the genotoxic action between MT EMF and gamma radiation shows that the ICNIRP limits are, at least, ~4.5×104 times less stringent than the limits for gamma radiation.

Do comparative judgements affect the perceived relevance of mobile phone road safety campaigns?

OBJECTIVE

Given the prevalence of illegal mobile phone use while driving and reliance upon messaging campaigns in deterring the behavior, there is a need to explore to what extent comparative judgements may influence desired outcomes of such campaigns. This exploratory study investigated (a) the perceived relevance and influence of different mobile phone road safety campaigns within a sample of Queensland motorists who reported using their mobile phone while driving and (b) if these varied depending on whether participants believed that their crash risk whilst using a phone was higher (comparative pessimism), lower (comparative optimism) or similar to the same-age and sex driver.

METHODS

A total of 350 licensed drivers residing within Queensland (Australia) were included in this study, of which 200 reported using their hand-held phone on some occasion. Participation involved completing a 20-25 min online anonymous survey, which included viewing three mobile phone road safety campaigns (injury-based, sanction-based and humor) and responding to questions about the perceived relevance and impact of each campaign.

RESULTS

A total of 64 (32%) participants displayed comparative optimism, 50 displayed similar judgements (25%) and 86 (43%) exhibited comparative pessimism. First, it was found that the injury-based campaign was perceived to be significantly more relevant than the humor campaign. Second, whilst the relevance of each campaign did not vary as a function of group membership, the campaigns were significantly less relevant to those displaying comparative optimism relative to those with similar judgements and comparative pessimism. Finally, the injury-based campaign was perceived to be significantly more influential than the other campaigns. However, overall, participants displaying comparative optimism believed that they would be less influenced by the campaigns compared to those with comparative pessimism.

CONCLUSIONS

Although preliminary, these findings suggest that low perceptions of risk may dilute or extinguish the desired behavioral outcomes of mobile phone road safety campaigns. Nonetheless, experimental research is needed to examine these effects directly.

Use of the Microguide mobile phone application for ENT conditions: a national review

OBJECTIVE

Smartphone applications are used widely in healthcare, including antimicrobial applications such as Microguide. There has been no review of hospitals using this smartphone application for ENT conditions.

METHODS

This study analysed all hospital accounts using Microguide and examined the ENT conditions that were listed.

RESULTS

In total, 123 hospitals were included in this study; 45 ENT-related conditions were listed on Microguide across all hospitals, with an average of 8 conditions listed per hospital.

CONCLUSION

There is a significant disparity of ENT conditions listed on Microguide. A suggested list is recommended to be included for ENT departments using Microguide, to help improve antimicrobial stewardship for the specialty.

Influence of distracted driving of online car-hailing drivers on overall driving performance

The distraction affects driving performance and induces serious safety issues. To better understand distracted driving, this study examines the influence of distracted driving on overall driving performance. This paper analyzes the distraction behavior (mobile phone use, entertainment activities, and passenger interference) under three driving tasks. The statistical results show that viewing or sending messages is common during driving. Smoking, phone calls, and talking to passengers are evident in cruising, ride request and drop-off, respectively. Then, overall driving performance is proposed based on velocity, longitudinal acceleration (longacc) and yaw_rate. It is divided into three categories, high, medium, and low, by k-means algorithms. The average speed increases from low to high performance; however, the longacc and yaw_rate decrease. Finally, the influence of distracted driving on overall driving performance is analyzed using C4.5 algorithm. The result shows that when time is peak, the probability of high performance (HP) is higher than off-peak. The possibility of HP increases with the increase of duration; the number of, talking to passengers, listening to music or radio, eating; the duration of, viewing or sending messages, phone calls; but reduces with the increase of the number of phone calls. These findings provide theoretical support for driving performance evaluation.

Interactions in Sociotechnical Systems: Achieving Balance in the Use of an Augmented Reality Mobile Application

OBJECTIVE

We explore relationships between barriers and facilitators experienced by users to understand dynamic interactions in sociotechnical systems and improve a mobile phone-based augmented reality application that teaches users about the contents of a standardized pediatric code cart.

BACKGROUND

Understanding interactions between performance obstacles and facilitators can provide guidance to (re)designing sociotechnical systems to improve system outcomes. Clinicians should know about contents and organization of code carts, and an augmented reality mobile application may improve that knowledge but changes the sociotechnical system in which they learn. Prior work identified barriers and facilitators impacting the use of this application-participants described dimensions together, indicating interactions that are explored in the current study.

METHOD

We conducted four focus groups (number of clinicians = 18) and two interviews with clinicians who used the application. We performed a secondary analysis of focus group data exploring interactions between previously identified barriers and facilitators to application use. We used epistemic network analysis to visualize these interactions.

RESULTS

Work system barriers interacted with barriers and facilitators interacted with facilitators to amplify cumulative negative or positive impact, respectively. Facilitators balanced barriers, mitigating negative impact. Facilitators also exacerbated barriers, worsening negative impact.

CONCLUSION

Barriers and facilitators interact and can amplify, balance, and exacerbate each other-notably, positives are not always positive. To obtain desired outcomes, interactions must be further considered in sociotechnical system design, for example, the potential improvements to the application we identified.

Is having your cell phone the key to happiness, or does it really matter? Evidence from a randomized double-blind study

BACKGROUND

Affect can influence people's perceptions, decisions, and the way they make sense of an experience. Some studies show that having one's cell phone removed will lead to negative emotional reactions, while others have found no significant impact on how we feel. In this paper we investigate the impact of cell phone possession and removal on participant's affective state.

METHODS

We use a randomized double-blind procedure to examine whether cell phone removal enhances negativity, promotes positivity, or is emotionally inconsequential. We measure affect using a PANAS self-report scale as well as a less transparent temporal-estimation procedure.

RESULTS

Our findings suggest that cell phone possession or removal has no influence on a person's affective state.

CONCLUSIONS

Measured through both the PANAS self-report scale and temporal estimation task, affect remained consistent regardless of cell phone possession. These results suggest that cell phones may not carry the emotional weight often attributed to them. This finding challenges a common theme revolving around the negative emotional impact of cell phones and technology. Consequently, these findings may have important implications for the generally perceived notion that cell phones are having a negative effect on people's emotions.