Epidemiological exploration of the impact of bluetooth headset usage on thyroid nodules using Shapley additive explanations method

Abstract

With an increasing prevalence of thyroid nodules globally, this study investigates the potential correlation between the use of Bluetooth headsets and the incidence of thyroid nodules, considering the cumulative effects of non-ionizing radiation (NIR) emitted by these devices. In this study, we analyzed 600 valid questionnaires from the WenJuanXing platform using Propensity Score Matching (PSM) and the XGBOOST model, supplemented by SHAP analysis, to assess the risk of thyroid nodules. PSM was utilized to balance baseline characteristic differences, thereby reducing bias. The XGBOOST model was then employed to predict risk factors, with model efficacy measured by the area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC). SHAP analysis helped quantify and explain the impact of each feature on the prediction outcomes, identifying key risk factors. Initially, 600 valid questionnaires from the WenJuanXing platform underwent PSM processing, resulting in a matched dataset of 96 cases for modeling analysis. The AUC value of the XGBOOST model reached 0.95, demonstrating high accuracy in differentiating thyroid nodule risks. SHAP analysis revealed age and daily Bluetooth headset usage duration as the two most significant factors affecting thyroid nodule risk. Specifically, longer daily usage durations of Bluetooth headsets were strongly linked to an increased risk of developing thyroid nodules, as indicated by the SHAP analysis outcomes. Our study highlighted a significant impact relationship between prolonged Bluetooth headset use and increased thyroid nodule risk, emphasizing the importance of considering health impacts in the use of modern technology, especially for devices like Bluetooth headsets that are frequently used daily. Through precise model predictions and variable importance analysis, our research provides a scientific basis for the formulation of public health policies and personal health habit choices, suggesting that attention should be paid to the duration of Bluetooth headset use in daily life to reduce the potential risk of thyroid nodules. Future research should further investigate the biological mechanisms of this relationship and consider additional potential influencing factors to offer more comprehensive health guidance and preventive measures.