INTRODUCTION:

A cell phone is a device that can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link while moving around a wide geographic area. In addition to telephony, modern-day mobile phones also support a wide range of other services such as text messaging, e mail, internet access, short-range wireless communications (infrared, Bluetooth), business applications, gaming and photography.

Today, Smart phones with more advanced computing facilities have come into the market. In the last 20 years, worldwide mobile phone subscriptions have grown from12.4 million to over 5.6 billion, penetrating about 70% of the global population. Its usage has also become an important public health problem as there have been reports of plenty of health hazards, both mental and physical, in people of all age groups.

On 31 May 2011 the World Health Organization confirmed that cell phone use indeed represents a health menace, and classified mobile phone radiation as a carcinogenic hazard, possibly carcinogenic to humans¹

PROBLEM STATEMENT:

“A Study to assess the effectiveness of Structured Teaching Program on knowledge regarding mobile radiation among students of selected junior college of Latur”

OBJECTIVES:

1. To assess the pre-test and post-test knowledge regarding mobile radiation.

2. To compare the pre-test and post-test knowledge regarding mobile radiation.

3. To evaluate the effectiveness of structured teaching program.

4. To associate the pre-test and post-test knowledge score with selected demographic variables.

NEED FOR THE STUDY:

"This study is meant to reveal the impact of mobile phones on student performance .It would expose the students to the implications of spending too much time on their mobile phones, smartphone addiction characteristics, to study incidence rate of traffic accidents due to the use of mobile phone while driving. Calculate annual exposure to high radiation by uses of mobile phones to note number of clinical complaints related to use of mobile phones are reported in the scientific manner²

To note the growth of use of cellular phones the recent years have witnessed rapid worldwide growth in the use of cell phone and enormous attention about its effect on human health as this effect has raised concerns about the public exposure to radiation emitted from cell phone and the possible interaction between the radio frequency electromagnetic radiation and the biological effect on human tissues, particularly the brain and the human immune system³

To understand the role that cell phone play in teens lives as the cell phone has provided teens with their own communication channel, to understand teens attitudes towards their cell phones and the way the devices enhance and disrupts their live and the way in which the phone has become social and entertainment hub³

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:

Research Design: Non Experimental research (Pre-test and post-test) design is used.

Research Approach: Evaluative approach.

Sample Size:30

Sampling Technique: Non-probability Convenient sampling technique

Description of the tool:

The tool for data collection consists of 2 parts.

Tool 1: Demographic data sheet will be prepared by the researcher.

Tool 2: Structured self-administered questionnaire (Knowledge)

RESULT:

Table 1. Description of samples according to Demographic characteristics by frequency and percentage in pre-test N=30

Sr.No	Demographic variables	Frequency	Percentage
1.	Age in year A. 16-18 B. 18-20	13 17	43.% 57.%
1.	Total	30	100%
2.	Gender A. Male B. Female	18 12	60% 40%
2.	Total	30	100%
3.	Living area A. Rural area B. Urban area	09 21	30% 70%
3.	Total	30	100%
4.	Type of uses of smartphone A. First Generation B. Second Generation C. Third Generation D. Fourth Generation	07 04 08 11	21% 12% 24% 33%
4.	Total	30	100%

Analysis of data related to knowledge regarding mobile radiation.

Table 2. Knowledge of college student regarding mobile radiation in pre-test

Knowledge	Pre-test
Knowledge	Freq.	%
Inadequate knowledge (Below 10)	21	70%
Moderate knowledge (10-15)	09	30%
Adequate knowledge (Above 15)	00	0%

Table 3. Knowledge of college students regarding mobile radiation in post-test.

Knowledge	Post-test
Knowledge	Freq.	%
Inadequate knowledge (Below 10)	00	0%
Moderate knowledge (10-15)	08	26.67%
Adequate knowledge (Above 15)	22	73.33%

Table 4. Shows area wise comparison of mean, SD, and mean percentage of pre-test and post- test knowledge scores about mobile radiation.

Area	Max score	Pre test scores			Post test score			Difference in mean (%)
Area	Max score	Mean	SD	Mean %	Mean	SD	Mean %	Difference in mean (%)
Knowledge on introduction, history,	10	3.67	1.39	36.7	8.2	1.41	82	45.3
Knowledge on human health	3	0.83	1.01	41.5	1.6	0.49	80	38.5
Knowledge on radiation of mobile	4	1.77	1.17	44.25	3.1	0.64	77.5	33.25
Knowledge on prevention of mobile radiation	3	0.5	0.61	25	1.23	0.8	61.5	36.5
Overall	20	6.77	4.18	36.5	14.1	3.13	78.1	38.72

Table 5. Comparison between differences of pre-test and post-test knowledge scores regarding mobile radiation among student

Sr. No	Area	‘t’ value	Level of Significance
1	Introduction, history	-12.58	HS
2	Human health impact	-3.35	HS
3	Radiation of mobile phones	-6.04	HS
4	Prevention of mobile radiation	-4.29	HS

Table 6. Association between pre-test score on mobile radiation among students with demographic variable.

Sr. No	Demographic variables	Df	Table value	χ² value	Level of significant
1	Age	3	7.82	1.27	Not significant
2	Gender	3	7.82	2.32	Not significant
3	Living area	3	7.82	2.16	Not significant
4	Uses of smart phones	3	7.82	7.4	Not significant

Table 7. Association between post-test score on mobile radiation among student with demographic variable.

Sr. No	Demographic variables	Df	Table value	χ²value	Level of significant
1	Age	3	7.82	6.36	Not significant
2	Gender	3	7.82	3.08	Not significant
3	Living area	3	7.82	3.9	Not significant
4	Uses of smart phones	3	7.82	7.1	Not significant

CONCLUSION:

From the findings of the present study it can be concluded that the structure teaching program regarding knowledge on mobile radiation among student was effective to improve the knowledge of students. Prior to the implementation of the structure teaching program the student had the mean percentage 39.38% of the total mean score, which was poor knowledge, whereas after the implementation of structure teaching program the student had the mean percentage 16.4±4.13 (SD) which is 78.1 of the total mean score which is good knowledge depicts the difference of 38.72% increase in mean percentage of score.

DISCUSSION:

True experimental designs were used for this study, the samples of this study was 30 students selected using non probability convenient sampling technique to assess the knowledge on mobile radiation. The consent of on mothers obtained and structured self-administered questionnaire test was conducted on the entire subject. Frequency and percentage distribution of student regarding mobile radiation that 22 (73.33%) had adequate knowledge, 8 (26.67%) of them had moderately adequate knowledge. Study shows no significant association between post- test knowledge scores of students when compared with demographic variables. Hence, null hypotheses was accepted. It can be interpreted that structure teaching program was effective.

RECOMMENDATION:

· The study can be conducted within hospital settings.

· A comparative study can be done in secondary college.

· The study can be conducted on a long period basis.

· The Study can be conducted as a correlative for attitude and practice.

· Study could be replicated on a larger sample to generalize the findings.

REFERENCES:

1. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (online): “(i) Mobile Phone radiation and health, and (ii) Electromagnetic Radiation and health”.

2. World Health Organization, “Electromagnetic Fields and public health-Mobile phones: Fact sheet” June 2011, No.193

3. Aruna Tyagi, Manoj Duhan and Dinesh Bhatia, “Effect of mobile phone radiation on brain activity- GSM vs CDMA. International Journal of Science, Technology and Management”. Apr 2011; vol 2(issue 2), pg 1-5 (Link: http://www.ijstm.com/archive/aruna_0401.pdf)

4. Environmental Working Group, “Cell phone Radiation- Science Review on Cancer Risks and Children’s Health: Do cell phones cause cancer or other illnesses”. 2009

5. Sara Thomee, Annika Harenstam and Mats Hagberg, “Mobile phone use and stress, sleep disturbances and symptoms of depression among young adults-a prospective cohort study” BioMed Central Public Health, 2011, 11:66.1-11

6. Girish Kumar (2010), “Report on Cell Tower Radiation”, Submitted to Secretary,DOT,Delhi, http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files

7. Neha Kumar, Dr. Girish Kumar, “Biological Effects of Cell Tower Radiation on Human Body”, ISMOT 2009, Dec. 16- 19, New Delhi, India

8. Graham C, Cook MR, Gerkovich MM, Sastre A, “Examination of the melatonin hypothesis in women exposed at night to EMR or bright light”, Environ Health Prospect 2001 Dec; 109(supply):911-933

Received on 01.10.2019 Modified on 10.11.2019

Asian J. Nursing Education and Research. 2020; 10(2):224-226.

DOI: 10.5958/2349-2996.2020.00048.8