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Long-term recall accuracy for mobile phone calls in young Japanese people: A follow-up validation study using software-modified phones

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Abstract

This study examined changes in recall accuracy for mobile phone calls over a long period. Japanese students’ actual call statuses were monitored for 1 month using software-modified phones (SMPs). Three face-to-face interviews were conducted to obtain information regarding self-reported call status during the monitoring period: first interview: immediately after the monitoring period; second interview: after 10–12 months; third interview: after 48–55 months. Using the SMP records as the “gold standard”, phone call recall accuracy was assessed for each interview. Data for 94 participants were analyzed. The number of calls made was underestimated considerably and the duration of calls was overestimated slightly in all interviews. Agreement between self-report and SMP records regarding the number of calls, duration of calls and laterality (i.e., use of the dominant ear while making calls) gradually deteriorated with the increase in the interval following the monitoring period (number of calls: first interview: Pearson’s r=0.641, third interview: 0.396; duration of calls: first interview: Pearson’s r=0.763, third interview: 0.356; laterality: first interview: weighted-κ=0.677, third interview: 0.448). Thus, recall accuracy for mobile phone calls would be consistently imperfect over a long period, and the results of related epidemiological studies should be interpreted carefully.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. We wish to express our sincere thanks to Atsushi Goto, Motoki Endo, Noritoshi Fukushima, Daisuke Furushima, Yuko Asano and Yuri Sunaya for data collection and manuscript construction; Kaoru Esaki for data processing; and Paul Matychuk for language support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Kosuke Kiyohara, Yasuto Sato, Noriko Kojimahara & Naohito Yamaguchi

  2. Electromagnetic Compatibility Laboratory, Applied Electromagnetic Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Koganei, Tokyo, Japan

    Kanako Wake & Soichi Watanabe

  3. Division of Advanced Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei-shi, Tokyo, Japan

    Takuji Arima

  4. Department of Electrical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan

    Masao Taki

  5. Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain

    Elisabeth Cardis

  6. Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain

    Elisabeth Cardis

  7. CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain

    Elisabeth Cardis

Authors
  1. Kosuke Kiyohara
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  2. Kanako Wake
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  3. Soichi Watanabe
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  4. Takuji Arima
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  5. Yasuto Sato
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  6. Noriko Kojimahara
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  7. Masao Taki
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  8. Elisabeth Cardis
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  9. Naohito Yamaguchi
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Correspondence to Kosuke Kiyohara.

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Kiyohara, K., Wake, K., Watanabe, S. et al. Long-term recall accuracy for mobile phone calls in young Japanese people: A follow-up validation study using software-modified phones. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 28, 166–172 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2016.73

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2016.73

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