Epidemiological Study (cross-sectional study)

Exposure to radio-frequency electromagnetic fields and behavioural problems in Bavarian children and adolescents. epidemiol.

PubMed Entry

Journal web site

Aim of study (according to author)
A cross-sectional study was conducted in Germany to investigate the possible association of exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields and behavioural problems in children and adolescents.
Background/further details:
The mental health behaviour was assessed by the German version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire which covers positive and negative attributes of behaviour. The children and their parents respectively the adolescents filled in the questionnaires.
Acute symptoms of the same study population were analyzed in Heinrich et al (2010) and chronic symptoms in Heinrich et al (2011).

Endpoint/type of risk estimation

• overall behavioural problems (emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity, and peer relationship problems)

Exposure

• mobile communication system, digital mobile phone, cell phone base station, GSM, UMTS, radio frequency field, DECT, W-LAN/WiFi, personal exposure
• type of exposure: personal
• assessment by questionnaire (mobile phone ownership, use of mobile phone and cordless phone, estimated distance to the next base station)
• assessment by dosimeter (24-hours measurement: personal dosimeter)
• assessment by calculation (based on field strength for 3 frequency ranges (GSM 900; GSM 1800, UMTS and DECT; WLAN) during waking hours)

Population
Study group: children, aged from 8 to 17 years
Group characteristics: children (aged between 8 and 12 years) and adolescents (aged between 13 and 17 years)
Observation period: 2006 - 2008
Study location: Germany (4 Bavarian cities)
Source of data: registration offices

Further parameters acquired by questionnaire (sociodemographic characteristics, level of education)

Study size
number total	6,396
number eligible	5,870
number participating	3,022
rate of participating	52%

Statistical analysis using logistic regression (adjusted for age, sex, residential area, education, self-reported environmental worries and general radiofrequency exposure)

Results/conclusion (according to author)
Exposure to mobile phone frequencies assessed by personal dosimetry was far below the ICNIRP reference level in a range from 0.13 % to 0.92 % of the ICNIRP reference level during waking hours. Altogether 7 % of the children and 5 % of the adolescents showed overall behavioural problems.
Adolescents in the highest exposure group showed statistically significant more overall behavioural problems (OR 2.2, CI 1.1-4.5) whereas this result was not observed for children in the highest exposure group. An analysis of the behaviour subgroups showed an association between the highest exposure group and conduct problems for adolescents (OR 3.7, CI 1.6-8.4) and for children (OR 2.9, CI 1.4-5.9). The authors concluded that more studies were warranted to confirm the findings.

(Study character: epidemiological study, cross-sectional study)

Study funded by

• Deutsches Mobilfunk Forschungsprogramm (DMF; German Mobile Phone Research Programme) at Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS)

• Byun YH et al. (2013): Mobile phone use, blood lead levels, and attention deficit hyperactivity...
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