Which factors affect accident probability at unexpected incidents? A structural equation model approach

Objective“Active couch potato” describes an individual who is sufficiently physically active yet highly sedentary. Cell phones promote activities understood as sedentary behaviors (e.g. watching videos). Research demonstrates that cell phone use is positively associated with sedentary behavior. Although sedentary behavior typically displaces physical activity, no relationship between cell phone use and physical activity has been found. Thus, it is possible that some sufficiently active individuals are also high-frequency cell phone users and therefore highly sedentary. In other words, cell phone use may predict being an “active couch potato” among active people. Testing this hypothesis was the purpose of this study. “Active couch potatoes” are of concern as the negative effects of excessive sedentary behavior are independent of the benefits of physical activity.MethodsCollege students (228) completed validated surveys assessing physical activity, sedentary behavior, and cell phone use. Using a previously validated method, participants were rated as sufficiently active or not based upon their physical activity survey score. Participants who were not sufficiently active were excluded from further analysis resulting in a final sample of 171. These sufficiently active individuals were categorized as “active couch potatoes” if they were also highly sedentary (i.e. sitting for eight or more hours/day). Logistic regression determined if cell phone use predicted being categorized as an “active couch potato.”ResultsCell phone use was a significant, positive predictor of being an “active couch potato.” With each additional hour of daily cell phone use, the odds of becoming an “active couch potato” increased by 11.4% (Wald = 5.934, P = 0.015, Exp(B) = 1.114). On average, active couch potatoes used their cell phone 1.7 hours more each day than their sufficiently active but not overly sedentary peers.ConclusionIncreased cell phone use was a significant predictor of being an “active couch potato.” Explanations and implications are discussed.

In the U.S. alone, motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) are the leading cause of death for people aged 11 to 27, resulting in 32,367 deaths and 2,217,000 injuries in 2011 (NHTSA, 2013a). In 2012, distraction-related MVCs are believed to have killed over 3,000 and injured over 420,000 (NHTSA, 2013b). A highly prevalent distraction is cellular (cell) phone use by drivers. A variety of factors, including demographics, overconfidence in driving ability, psychological conditioning, and social norms contribute to the persistent pervasiveness of cell phone use while driving. Talking on cell phones is not the only problem as texting has become a common means of communication. Texting may be even more dangerous than talking as it often requires drivers to divert their eyes from traffic. This article reviews research on cell phone use by drivers and resultant safety hazards, while exploring possible solutions and future directions for research such as the use of Behavior-Based Safety approaches and changes in policies and laws.

This methodological report describes survey research and data collection methods used for the second Observational Survey of Cell Phone and Texting Use Among California Drivers study conducted in 2012. This study was conducted by Ewald & Wasserman Research Consultants on behalf of the California Office of Traffic Safety and the Safe Transportation Research and Education Center at the University of California, Berkeley. The goal of the survey was to obtain a statewide statistically representative observational sample of California's cell phone use behaviors, focusing on mobile device use and comparing it with the 2011 survey data. Vehicle drivers were observed at controlled intersections, such as traffic lights and stop signs; a protocol similar to the National Occupancy Protection Use Study methodology published by NHTSA was used. The sample frame included a total of 5,664 vehicle observations from 129 sites. The total percentage of drivers distracted by electronic devices (holding a phone to the ear, manipulating a handheld electronic device while driving, or talking on a handheld device) increased to 6.2% in 2012 from 4.2% in 2011. California's baseline level of cell phone use and driving will be a critical metric over the years as traffic safety stakeholders mobilize to conduct high-visibility enforcement campaigns, explore new policies, expand educational programs, and engineer countermeasures to increase safety on the roads.

Cell phone use in the U.S. has increased dramatically over the past decade and text messaging among adults is now mainstream. In professions such as perfusion, where clinical vigilance is essential to patient care, the potential distraction of cell phones may be especially problematic. However, the extent of this as an issue is currently unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to (1) determine the frequency of cell phone use in the perfusion community, and (2) to identify concerns and opinions among perfusionists regarding cell phone use. In October 2010, a link to a 19-question survey (surveymonkey.com) was posted on the AmSECT (PerfList) and Perfusion.com (PerfMail) forums. There were 439 respondents. Demographic distribution is as follows; Chief Perfusionist (30.5%), Staff Perfusionist (62.0%), and Other (7.5%), with age ranges of 20-30 years (14.2%), 30-40 years (26.5%), 40-50 years (26.7%), 50-60 years (26.7%), >60 years (5.9%). The use of a cell phone during the performance of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was reported by 55.6% of perfusionists. Sending text messages while performing CPB was acknowledged by 49.2%, with clear generational differences detected when cross-referenced with age groups. For smart phone features, perfusionists report having accessed e-mail (21%), used the internet (15.1%), or have checked/posted on social networking sites (3.1%) while performing CPB. Safety concerns were expressed by 78.3% who believe that cell phones can introduce a potentially significant safety risk to patients. Speaking on a cell phone and text messaging during CPB are regarded as "always an unsafe practice" by 42.3% and 51.7% of respondents, respectively. Personal distraction by cell phone use that negatively affected performance was admitted by 7.3%, whereas witnessing another perfusionist distracted with phone/text while on CPB was acknowledged by 33.7% of respondents. This survey suggests that the majority of perfusionists believe cell phones raise significant safety issues while operating the heart-lung machine. However, the majority also have used a cell phone while performing this activity. There are clear generational differences in opinions on the role and/or appropriateness of cell phones during bypass. There is a need to further study this issue and, perhaps, to establish consensus on the use of various communication modes within the perfusion community.

There is controversy on the effects of the non-ionizing radiation emitted by cell phones on cellular processes and the impact of such radiation exposure on health. Conflicting results were reported on the association between cell phone use and parotid tumor development. Chronic inflammation is associated with an increased risk for cancer, such as seen in ulcerative colitis. To evaluate the effect that cell phone use has on the parotid gland, cytokine expression profile was determined in the saliva produced by the parotid glands in healthy volunteers, and correlated with self-reported cell phone use and laterality. The following parameters were determined, in 83 Brazilian individuals in saliva produced by the parotid glands comparing the saliva from the gland exposed to cell phone radiation (ipsilateral) to that from the contralateral parotid: salivary flow, total protein concentration, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, IFN-γ and TNF-α by ELISA. After multiple testing correction, decreased IL-10 and increased IL-1β salivary levels in the ipsilateral side compared with the contralateral side (p<0.05) were detected. Subjects who used cell phones for more than 10 years presented higher differences between IL-10 levels in ipsilateral versus contralateral parotids (p = 0.0012). No difference was observed in any of the tested parameters in correlation with cell phone monthly usage in minutes. We conclude that exposure of parotid glands to cell phones can alter salivary IL-10 and IL-1β levels. These findings suggest a pro-inflammatory profile on parotid naturally exposed to cell phones, which can be associated not only to the radiation emitted by the device but with the warming caused by radiation and the battery of the cell during use. Supported by: FAPEMIG (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa de Minas Gerais), CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico) and CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior), Brazil Citation Format: Ricardo S. Gomez, Elisa C. Siqueira, Fabrício Tinôco A. Souza, Efigênia F. Ferreira, Renan P. Souza, Eitan Friedman, Marcus V. Gomez, Carolina C. Gomes. Cell phone use is associated with an inflammatory cytokine profile of parotid gland saliva. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4067.

Examining driver behavior at the onset of yellow in a traffic simulator environment: Comparisons between random parameters and latent class logit models

The purpose of the research was to establish the causal relationship between attitudes towards social media, the use of video games, in the attitude towards the use of cell phones, likewise, the relationship of influence of the attitude towards video games in the use of social media. The study was carried out in Peru, with students of the primary level of economic condition of extreme poverty, where the cell phone is the most recurrent device of communication and social interaction in times of pandemic due to the presence of Covid-19. The study aims to validate a relationship model between the independent and dependent variables, for this purpose the investigation was designed in two phases, the first comprises an exploratory factor analysis using the IBM-SPSS, the second, was the realization of a confirmatory analysis, for this the PLS-SEM methodology was used, which is a multivariate method called, Modeling of Structural Equations with Partial Least Squares. The model was validated with a sample of 71 students, whose ages range from 11 to 13 years, from the Moquegua region. The study would reveal causal relationships, especially between the attitude towards the use of video games and its influence on the use of social media, in the same way, the level of influence that independent variables would exert, such as the attitude towards the use of networks. social and the use of video games in the attitude towards the use of cell phones.

Ambulatory cell phone injuries in the United States: An emerging national concern

As the use of mobile devices, such as cell phones, has proliferated in academic settings in recent years, new challenges are faced by institutions of higher education and their faculties. The authors surveyed 269 college students from 21 academic majors at a small northeastern university to gain a better understanding of the frequency and manner in which cell phones are used in college classrooms. Focusing on the use of text messaging in the classroom, students reported on their own and others’ use of cell phones. It was found that 95% of students bring their phones to class every day, 92% use their phones to text message during class time, and 10% admit they have texted during an exam on at least one occasion. The majority of the students surveyed believe that instructors are largely unaware of the extent to which texting and other cell phone activities engage students in the classroom. These activities include browsing the Internet, sending pictures, or accessing social networking sites. The authors discuss these and other findings and their implications for issues of classroom management and academic dishonesty.

Cell phone use and risk of thyroid cancer: a population-based case–control study in Connecticut

Psychological predictors of college students’ cell phone use while driving

In our technologically ever-advancing world, cell phones can either help us remain socially connected or can contribute to social isolation by substituting for face-to-face contact. This study examines the levels of social isolation in terms of the state of loneliness and trait of shyness and their correlations with academic achievement in 206 community college and university students to examine the connection between social isolation, GPA and cell phone use in college students. Two instruments used in the collection of data were the Revised Cheek and Buss Shyness Scale (RCBS) and the DeJong Gierveld Loneliness Scale. Correlational analysis was used to examine the relationships between variables. Hypothesis 1 proposed a significant negative relationship between higher levels of cell phone use and academic achievement as measured by self-reported GPA. This was partially supported by the research findings. Hypothesis 2 proposed a significant negative relationship between shyness and higher levels of cell phone use. This was also partially supported by the research findings. Hypothesis 3 proposed a significant positive relationship between loneliness and higher levels of cell phone use. This was not supported by research findings. Implications for further research include examining non-college populations for greater generalization of results and examining additional personality traits.

Although a review of the recent literature found that the evidence for a causal association between mobile phone use while driving and crash related injuries was not clear cut, with...

Why drivers use cell phones and support legislation to restrict this practice

Mild Cognitive Impairment and driving: Does in-vehicle distraction affect driving performance?