Groundbreaking Study Seeks to Identify Long-Term Health Risks of Cell Phone Use
COSMOS Will Follow Cell Phone Users for Up to 30 Years!
A 2007 report from MTHR found that short-term cell phone use, 10 years or less, was not associated with specific health risks. However, some cancers of the brain and nervous system and diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's take longer to develop.
Long-term health risks of cell phone use will be the focus of Cohort Study of Mobile Phone Use and Health (COSMOS). COSMOS is partnered by United Kingdom, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and The Netherlands. It will monitor one-quarter of a million research volunteers for symptoms such as headache, sleep problems, tumors, and brain and nervous system problems over a 20- to 30-year period.
Imperial College, London, will conduct the COSMOS study. Cell phone users will receive invitations from providers to become research volunteers.
Research Volunteers
Efforts to enlist research volunteers include informing them of the fact that there are 6 billion cell phone users worldwide and that the health of future generations may hang in the balance. Research volunteers will qualify to win one of 100 25-pound prize vouchers by completing the program's online survey concerning health, lifestyle, and cell phone use by June 30, 2010.
During the first five years, research volunteers will be asked to update their survey responses yearly.
Information Retrieval
Research volunteers must give COSMOS access to their health records for at least 20 years.
COSMOS will look at frequency and duration of past, current, and future cell phone use by research volunteers. This information will be obtained from cell phone providers' records.
Research volunteers must give COSMOS access to past, current, and future health records.
Research volunteers must provide lifestyle information including history of smoking, diet, and exercise.
Research volunteers can withdraw from COSMOS at any time by calling an 800 number.
Privacy Protection
Imperial College vows to protect the privacy of information of research volunteers in accordance with UK's Data Protection Act of 1998. Data will be stored ("securely") on a private computer network at Imperial College. Data will be accessed by only a few research team members who are required to agree to strict non-disclosure rules. Information will not be sent to other countries until the data is "anonymised."
A previous study was attempted in Germany but it failed due to privacy concerns. At last count, only 232 research volunteers had signed up for COSMOS.
Findings of the Study
MTHR plans future studies concerning cell phone use. They want to study ways to improve communications about the health risks of cell phone use and to study health risks of cell phone use in children and in emergency responders.
The current study focuses on health risks of long-term cell phone use in adults. Newly identified health risks, if any, will be periodically announced throughout the 30-year term of the COSMOS study.
Sources:
No author given. Why Are We Conducting This Research? COSMOS.
No author given. Project Team. COSMOS
No author given. Project Partners. COSMOS.
No author given. About This Study. COSMOS.
No author given. Taking Part. COSMOS.
No author given. Next Steps. COSMOS.
Kate Holton and Georgina Prodhan. Biggest Study on Cellphone Health Effects Launched. Reuters.
MTHR Management Committee. Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Programme, Report 2007. MTHR.
Published by Janie Ellington
I am a baby boomer,born and raised in Texas. Animals, especially birds, are a special love. I am spiritual but not what you would call "religious." I am a registered pharmacist and I enjoy writing on health... View profile
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- COSMOS will follow the health of approximately 250,000 European cell phone users for up to 30 years.
- Disease related to cell phone use may not show up with ten-year's, or less, exposure.
- Five countries will participate in this ambitious study.