Long term effects of mobile phone use on sleep quality, stress score and depression score in female medical students

BACKGROUND: Extensive us of mobile phones (MP) has led to exposure to a dangerous level of electromagnetic fields (EMF). Adolescents are at an age where good quality sleep, mental and physical wellbeing is of utmost importance. Recent studies have shown that the EMF radiation from MP and similar devices can cause symptoms such as fatigue, trouble sleeping, depression, moodiness , anxiety etc. However there is no conclusive data available so far on this issue. So present research work was conducted to assess quality of sleep, stress score and depression score in female medical students those they were using mobile phones for longer durations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For present study 240 female medical students (age group 18 to 23 years) were studied. Depending upon mobile use students were divided into following groups. Group A) 1 to 50000 minutes. Group B) 50001 to 100000 minutes. Group C) 100001 to 150000 minutes. Group D) 150001 and Above. Minutes. Following tests were studied in all the students. 1) Pittsburgh Sleep Quality test score 2)Three Minute Depression Test score 3) Stress score . Values of various scores were compared within the groups. RESULTS: For depression score Significant difference (P value<.05 ) was observed between group A (4.029 ± 2.91) and Group C (6.65 ±4.64). No significant differences were observed for stress and sleep scores. CONCLUSION: Long term MP use is associated with mild type of depression. However further research on large sample size, exact measure of EMF exposure and more duration of EMF exposure is required to reach to conclusion.