Pages: (104-112 )
Abstract
Mobile phones are power radio devices that transmit and receive electromagnetic radiation in radio frequency region through an antenna. The radiation received from mobile phone depends on different factors: the distance of cell phone from the user and to the base station, duration of conversation, age of an individual and the value of Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) for a particular cell phone. SAR can be defined as a measure of energy which is absorbed per unit mass in the human body when it is exposed to Radio Frequency (RF), one of the non- ionizing radiation. To examine the knowledge and awareness of SAR value of mobile phone among the people living in southwestern Nigeria; the design employed is based on primary data from the respondents. The awareness on mobile phone SAR value among 300 different categories of mobile phone users across the six states of southwestern Nigeria was examined through a questionnaire that contains 25 items. The questionnaire has two sections: the first section records the socio-demographics profile of the respondents, while the second section was basically on the awareness on mobile phone SAR value and its health implications. The study utilized descriptive statistics and it was revealed that majority of the respondents (90 %) have not heard about mobile phone SAR value before this survey. The study further confirmed that most of the respondents (69.3 %) do not know or have access to their mobile phone SAR’s value. The level of awareness of mobile phone SAR value and its health implications is very low and this call for concern. Furthermore, a reference level should be set for the country.
Keywords: Mobile phone, Health, Radiation, Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), Non-ionizing radiation,