Actual and perceived exposure to electromagnetic fields and non-specific physical symptoms: An epidemiological study based on self-reported data and electronic medical records

Abstract

In conclusion, there is no convincing evidence for an association between everyday life RF-EMF exposure and NSPS and sleep quality in the population. Better exposure characterization, in particular with respect to sources of extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) is needed to draw more solid conclusions. We argue that perceived exposure is an independent determinant of NSPS.

The relationship of modern health worries to non-specific physical symptoms and perceived environmental sensitivity: A study combining self-reported and general practice data

“…Results of the non-response analysis and detailed health characteristics of the respondents have been described in previous publications [24,31,35]. In short, participants were slightly younger, more highly educated and with better perceived health, while there was no difference in terms of gender.…”

“…We used primary care data that reflect daily life practice and were obtained from a registry system with established reliability [47]. Another strength of the study is that, in a previous stage, an epidemiological risk assessment was performed, showing no convincing evidence for an association between actual EMF exposure and NSPS [31]. This is especially important if we consider that studies investigating the association between MHW and health usually do not take into account the possible effect of physical exposures.…”

“…An epidemiological survey was conducted between January and June 2011, originally aimed to investigate NSPS in relation to everyday life exposure to EMF and psychological factors [31]. Selfreported questionnaires were combined with electronic medical records of NSPS, symptoms and morbidity.…”

“…Additional information regarding the study design and sampling procedure are provided in previous publications [24,31].…”

Prediction of RF-EMF exposure levels in large outdoor areas through car-mounted measurements on the enveloping roads

“…Although ambient levels of radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields (EMF) generally encountered in everyday life are well below established limits (ICNIRP, 1998) and thus not conclusively linked to adverse health effects (due to heating), there is a concern that long-term exposure at low levels may be associated with various non-specific physical symptoms (Baan et al, 2011;Baliatsas et al, 2015) and ecological effects on fauna and flora (Cucurachi et al, 2013).…”