The prevalence of symptoms attributed to electromagnetic field exposure: a cross-sectional representative survey in Switzerland.
- Schreier N Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland.
- Huss A
- Röösli M
- 2006-12-30
Published in:
- Sozial- und Praventivmedizin. - 2006
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Cell Phone
Cross-Sectional Studies
Electric Power Supplies
Electromagnetic Fields
Environmental Exposure
Environmental Illness
Female
Headache
Health Status Indicators
Health Surveys
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Sleep Wake Disorders
Switzerland
English
OBJECTIVES
To investigate health risk perception as well as to assess the prevalence of self-reported symptoms attributed to electromagnetic fields (EMF) and other environmental exposures in the general population of Switzerland.
METHODS
Between May and June 2004, telephone interviews of a representative sample of the Swiss population (n=2048, >14 years old) about: (1) health symptoms attributed to five environmental factors (one of which was EMF), (2) health risk perception related to 12 environmental risk factors (five of which were different EMF sources).
RESULTS
We found a prevalence of 5% (95% CI 4-6%) for electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) in our study sample. The most common health complaints among EHS individuals were sleep disorders (43%) and headaches (34%), which were mostly attributed to power lines and mobile phone handsets. In addition, 53 percent (95% CI 51-55%) were worried about adverse health effects from EMF, without attributing their own health symptoms to them.
CONCLUSIONS
The large proportion of the population who is concerned or attributes own symptoms to EMF may cause societal conflicts given the ubiquity of EMF in our everyday life.
To investigate health risk perception as well as to assess the prevalence of self-reported symptoms attributed to electromagnetic fields (EMF) and other environmental exposures in the general population of Switzerland.
METHODS
Between May and June 2004, telephone interviews of a representative sample of the Swiss population (n=2048, >14 years old) about: (1) health symptoms attributed to five environmental factors (one of which was EMF), (2) health risk perception related to 12 environmental risk factors (five of which were different EMF sources).
RESULTS
We found a prevalence of 5% (95% CI 4-6%) for electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) in our study sample. The most common health complaints among EHS individuals were sleep disorders (43%) and headaches (34%), which were mostly attributed to power lines and mobile phone handsets. In addition, 53 percent (95% CI 51-55%) were worried about adverse health effects from EMF, without attributing their own health symptoms to them.
CONCLUSIONS
The large proportion of the population who is concerned or attributes own symptoms to EMF may cause societal conflicts given the ubiquity of EMF in our everyday life.
- Language
-
- English
- Open access status
- green
- Identifiers
-
- DOI 10.1007/s00038-006-5061-2
- PMID 17193782
- Persistent URL
- https://folia.unifr.ch/global/documents/138431
Statistics
Document views: 49
File downloads:
- Full-text: 0