The mobile phone usage attitude of Hacettepe University medical faculty third grade students

Objective: It is aimed to determine the mobile phone usage attitude of Hacettepe University Medical Faculty third grade students.

Method:  Of the 244 students in Hacettepe University Medical Faculty third grade, 202 (82,8%) are attained. Questionnaire forms included 3 parts and 39 questions and are applied under observation. Brochures on safe mobile phone usage are distirubed to participants after the study.

Findings: Sixty percent of the participants are male and mean age  is 21,37±1,19. All participants use mobile phone except two (99%) and talk about 29,16±41,35 minutes daily on the mobiles. The average mobile phone usage is 6,33±1,81 years and the age for starting to use mobile phone is 15,26±2,13 years.  Women talk significantly longer than men (p=0,005). Sixty- seven percent of the participants stated that the reason for their starting to use mobile phone is to communicate with their families and friends. 34,7%  use more than one phone and 87,1% of them explain this as an economic advantage. While buying their mobile phone 71,9% of the participants stated that pay attention to the models, 23,4% to the price.  Nobody stated that they pay attention to the safety criteria for health. Eighty three point three of the group stated that they don’t close their phones during the daytime and 74,5% while sleeping. Of the participants 18,2% stated that they have symptoms which they think, may be related to mobile phone and these participants talk statistically longer on the phones in significant manner (p=0,008). 

Conclusion: It was determined that the medical faculty students do not pay attention safety criteria for health while choosing and using mobile phone. It is important to inform third grade students about possible health effects of mobile phones and the preventive measures.Key words: Medical faculty students, mobile phone usage, related symptoms