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Utility of telephone company records for epidemiologic studies of cellular telephones.

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Funch DP, Rothman KJ, Loughlin JE, Dreyer NA · 1996

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This 1996 study validated phone company records for tracking cellular phone exposure and revealed consistent head-side preferences that affect radiation patterns.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers surveyed over 5,000 cellular phone users in 1996 to determine whether phone company billing records could accurately track phone usage for health studies. They found that people's self-reported phone use matched billing records quite well (74% correlation), and discovered that most users consistently favor one side of their head when talking, which affects radiation exposure patterns.

Why This Matters

This foundational study from 1996 established crucial methodology for EMF health research by validating that phone company records could reliably track exposure levels. The finding that 69% of users were primary account holders who used at least 75% of the minutes helped researchers understand exposure patterns in early cellular studies. Perhaps most importantly, the discovery that users consistently favor one side of their head when talking provided early insight into asymmetric radiation exposure patterns that would later become relevant in brain tumor studies. This research laid the groundwork for more sophisticated epidemiological studies by demonstrating that objective exposure data could be obtained from billing records rather than relying solely on user recall.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Study Details

We conducted a survey of over 5,000 telephone users who were customers of one large cellular telephone company covering four major geographical areas. Our primary goal was to assess the utility of ascertaining information on telephone use and type from telephone company records.

We compared information from 3,949 respondents with corresponding data from company billing records.

We found that 48% of the account holders were sole users, and 69% were the primary user, meaning tha...

Cite This Study
Funch DP, Rothman KJ, Loughlin JE, Dreyer NA (1996). Utility of telephone company records for epidemiologic studies of cellular telephones. Epidemiology 7(3):299-302, 1996.
Show BibTeX
@article{dp_1996_utility_of_telephone_company_2092,
  author = {Funch DP and Rothman KJ and Loughlin JE and Dreyer NA},
  title = {Utility of telephone company records for epidemiologic studies of cellular telephones.},
  year = {1996},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8728445/},
}
PubMed: 8728445

Cited By (62 papers)

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Quick Questions About This Study

Yes, cell phone radiation exposure varies by which side you use. A 1996 study found most people consistently favor one side when talking, creating uneven radiation patterns. This side preference wasn't related to whether users were right or left-handed.
People report their cell phone usage fairly accurately. Research comparing self-reported use to actual billing records found a 74% correlation, meaning most users can reliably estimate their phone time for health studies.
Cell phone billing records are quite reliable for tracking exposure in health research. A 1996 study found strong correlations between billing data and user reports, with 48% being sole users and 69% primary users of their accounts.
Handedness doesn't strongly predict which ear you use for phone calls. Research found most people favor one side of their head consistently, but this preference isn't closely linked to being right or left-handed.
Phone company records provide reasonably accurate radiation exposure data for research. Studies show 74% correlation between billing records and actual usage, with most account holders being primary users, making records suitable for health studies.