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Cancer & Tumors

New Zealand adolescents' cellphone and cordless phone user-habits: are they at increased risk of brain tumours already? A cross-sectional study.

No Effects Found

Redmayne M · 2013

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New Zealand teens are accumulating wireless phone exposure levels that major studies linked to brain tumor risk by their mid-teens.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers surveyed 373 New Zealand adolescents (average age 12.3 years) about their cellphone and cordless phone use patterns. They found that 90% used both devices, with some already logging enough cordless phone hours to match the highest usage levels in major brain tumor studies. The study projected that if usage continued at current rates, many teens would reach exposure levels associated with increased brain tumor risk by their mid-teens.

Study Details

Cellphone and cordless phone use is very prevalent among early adolescents, but the extent and types of use is not well documented. This paper explores how, and to what extent, New Zealand adolescents are typically using and exposed to active cellphones and cordless phones, and considers implications of this in relation to brain tumour risk, with reference to current research findings.

This cross-sectional study recruited 373 Year 7 and 8 school students with a mean age of 12.3 years ...

Both cellphones and cordless phones were used by approximately 90% of students. A third of participa...

While cellphones were very popular for entertainment and social interaction via texting, cordless phones were most popular for calls. If their use continued at the reported rate, many would be at increased risk of specific brain tumours by their mid-teens, based on findings of the Interphone and Hardell-group studies.

Cite This Study
Redmayne M (2013). New Zealand adolescents' cellphone and cordless phone user-habits: are they at increased risk of brain tumours already? A cross-sectional study. Environ Health. 12(1):5, 2013.
Show BibTeX
@article{m_2013_new_zealand_adolescents_cellphone_3325,
  author = {Redmayne M},
  title = {New Zealand adolescents' cellphone and cordless phone user-habits: are they at increased risk of brain tumours already? A cross-sectional study.},
  year = {2013},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23302218/},
}
PubMed: 23302218

Cited By (24 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

A 2013 study found that 90% of New Zealand adolescents used cordless phones, with one-third already using them for 7+ years. Researchers projected that 6% would reach the highest exposure levels from major brain tumor studies by their mid-teens if usage continued.
The study found that reaching 1,640 hours of cordless phone use matches the highest exposure category in major brain tumor studies like Interphone. At current usage rates, 6% of surveyed New Zealand teens would reach this level by their mid-teens.
According to the 2013 New Zealand study, cordless phones were most popular for actual phone calls among adolescents, while cell phones were primarily used for entertainment and social interaction through texting rather than voice calls.
The New Zealand study found that more than one-third of parents believed cell phones carried moderate-to-high health risks for their children, indicating significant parental concern about potential health effects from mobile phone use.
The study found that high cell phone use was linked to keeping phones close at night, being woken regularly by the device, and feeling tired at school, suggesting cell phone proximity during sleep disrupts rest patterns in teenagers.