Study type: Epidemiological study (observational study)

Prevalence of subjective poor health symptoms associated with exposure to electromagnetic fields among university students epidem.

Published in: Bioelectromagnetics 2007; 28 (4): 326-330

Aim of study (acc. to author)

The association between mobile phone use and self-reported subjective symptoms was investigated in a cross-sectional study in Iran.

Further details

Non-users of mobile phones were defined as students who had no mobile phones or whose average daily calling time had been less than 30 seconds over the past three months. Students who had used a cathode ray tube monitor less than 1 minute per day over the past three months were considered as non-users.

Endpoint/type of risk estimation

Type of risk estimation:

Exposure

Assessment

Exposure groups

Group Description
Group 1 cathode ray tube monitor users
Group 2 cordless phone users
Group 3 mobile phone users

Population

Study size

Type Value
Total 690
Participants 518
Participation rate 75 %
Statistical analysis method:

Results (acc. to author)

30 % of the students were users of mobile phones, 36 % of cordless phones, and 56 % of cathode ray tube monitors. Headache was the most frequent complaint (53.5 %) among the self-reported symptoms.
No association between subjective symptoms and the use of mobile phones, cordless phones or cathode ray tube monitors was observed. The authors concluded that mass-media's lack of interest in health effects of electromagnetic fields in developing countries could explain the difference observed between the results in this study and those of other studies in some developed countries.

Study funded by

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