Validation of mobile phone use recall in the multinational MOBI-kids study

Authors: van Wel L, Huss A, Kromhout H, Momoli F, Krewski D, Langer CE, Casta�o-Vinyals G, Kundi M, Maule M, Miligi L, Sadetzki S, Albert A, Alguacil J, Aragones N, Badia F, Bruchim R, Goedhart G, de Llobet P, Kiyohara K, Kojimahara N, Lacour B, Morales-Suarez-Varela M, Radon K, Remen T, Weinmann T, Vrijheid M, Cardis E, Vermeulen R; MOBI-Kids consortium

Year: 2024 May 22

Category: Epidemiology

Journal: Bioelectromagnetics

Institution: MOBI-Kids consortium (multiple international institutions)

DOI: 10.1002/bem.22507

URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bem.22507

Abstract

Overview

This study evaluates the accuracy of self-reported mobile phone use (MPU) by comparing participant recall against objective network operator billing records in the multinational MOBI-Kids case-control study. The focus is on differential and non-differential recall errors, with an emphasis on potential biases affecting the association between mobile phone use and brain cancer risk among children and young adults (ages 10 to 24) across eight countries.

Findings

  • Self-reported call number and duration were compared with operator records for up to 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years before interview among 702 subjects.
  • Spearman rank correlation coefficients between self-reported and recorded MPU for the most recent 3 months were 0.57 (call number) and 0.59 (call duration).
  • Participants on average underestimated the number of calls (geometric mean ratio [GMR]=0.69) and overestimated call duration (GMR=1.59).
  • No significant difference in recall accuracy was found between cases (children with brain tumors) and controls.
  • Recall error did not appear to be influenced by country, years of mobile phone use, age, or sex.
  • A trend was observed where lower self-reported use was underestimated and higher use was overestimated, for both number and duration.
  • While operator records provide valuable calibration insight, factors such as unknown actual user and exclusion of VOIP calls limit their status as a gold standard.

Conclusion

Both systematic and random recall errors exist in self-reported mobile phone use, generally leading to underreporting of call number and overreporting of call duration. Importantly, no evidence of differential recall between cases and controls was found. However, exposure measurement errors remain and must be considered when interpreting findings about mobile phone use and potential brain cancer risk in children. This underscores the importance of exposure assessment accuracy in EMF and brain tumor epidemiological research.

Note: The study acknowledges a potential link between mobile phone use (and EMF exposure) and brain tumor risk, and emphasizes that errors in exposure measurement can reduce study power to detect true risks.

mobile phone use recall bias brain cancer risk children electromagnetic fields exposure assessment case-control study
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