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Symptoms & Sensitivity

Symptoms and the use of wireless communication devices: A prospective cohort study in Swiss adolescents

No Effects Found

Schoeni A, Roser K, Röösli M. · 2017

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Stronger associations were found between symptoms and wireless device use than with RF-EMF dose measures, a pattern that does not support a causal link between RF-EMF exposure and symptoms but suggests other aspects of extensive media use are related.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers conducted a prospective cohort study of 439 Swiss adolescents aged 12-17 years who completed questionnaires about mobile and cordless phone use and symptoms at baseline and one year later. Operator-recorded mobile phone data were obtained for a subgroup of 234 adolescents, and RF-EMF dose measures for the brain and whole body were computed. Data were analyzed using mixed-logistic cross-sectional and cohort models adjusted for confounders. Symptoms such as tiredness were more strongly associated with text message frequency (OR 1.81 cross-sectional, OR 1.87 cohort) than with call duration or RF-EMF dose measures. The pattern of stronger associations with device use than with RF-EMF dose does not support a causal effect of RF-EMF exposure on symptoms.

Why This Matters

The study aimed to investigate whether RF-EMF from wireless devices or non-radiation factors related to device use are associated with increased health symptom reports in adolescents. The follow-up participation rate was 97%, with 425 participants completing the second questionnaire.

Study Details

We investigated whether radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) from mobile phones and other wireless devices or by the wireless device use itself due to non-radiation related factors in that context are associated with an increase in health symptom reports of adolescents in Central Switzerland.

In a prospective cohort study, 439 study participants (participation rate: 36.8%) aged 12-17 years, ...

Participation rate in the follow-up was 97% (425 participants). In both analyses, cross-sectional an...

Stronger associations between symptoms of ill health and wireless communication device use than for RF-EMF dose measures were observed. Such a result pattern does not support a causal association between RF-EMF exposure and health symptoms of adolescents but rather suggests that other aspects of extensive media use are related to symptoms.

Cite This Study
Schoeni A, Roser K, Röösli M. (2017). Symptoms and the use of wireless communication devices: A prospective cohort study in Swiss adolescents Environ Res. 154:275-283, 2017.
Show BibTeX
@article{a_2017_symptoms_and_the_use_3377,
  author = {Schoeni A and Roser K and Röösli M.},
  title = {Symptoms and the use of wireless communication devices: A prospective cohort study in Swiss adolescents},
  year = {2017},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28113068/},
}
PubMed: 28113068

Cited By (26 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

The study was a prospective cohort study of 439 adolescents aged 12-17 years who completed questionnaires at baseline and one year later. Operator-recorded mobile phone data were obtained for a subgroup of 234 adolescents.
Various symptoms such as tiredness were more strongly associated with the number of text messages sent per day than with mobile phone call duration or RF-EMF dose measures.
RF-EMF dose measures for the brain and whole body were computed considering various factors affecting exposure.
The pattern of stronger associations with device use than with RF-EMF dose does not support a causal association between RF-EMF exposure and symptoms, suggesting other aspects of extensive media use are related.
The follow-up participation rate was 97%, with 425 participants completing the second questionnaire.