German wide cross sectional survey on health impacts of electromagnetic fields in the view of general practitioners.
Kowall B, Breckenkamp J, Heyer K, Berg-Beckhoff G. · 2010
View Original AbstractOne-third of German doctors believe EMF exposure causes patient health problems even at legally permitted levels.
Plain English Summary
German researchers surveyed nearly 3,000 general practitioners to understand how many doctors believe electromagnetic fields cause health problems in their patients. They found that about one-third of German doctors (29-37%) think EMF exposure can cause health complaints even when radiation levels meet current safety standards. This suggests a significant portion of frontline healthcare providers see EMF-related health effects in their practice, despite official guidelines suggesting otherwise.
Why This Matters
This study reveals a striking disconnect between official EMF safety positions and what doctors observe in their daily practice. When nearly one-third of general practitioners - the physicians who see the broadest range of patients and symptoms - believe EMF causes health problems at legally permitted levels, that's worth serious attention. These aren't activists or researchers with agendas; they're practicing physicians reporting what they see in their examination rooms. The researchers dismiss this as doctors 'deviating from current scientific knowledge,' but perhaps we should ask whether the doctors are seeing something the official science is missing. The reality is that safety standards were set decades ago based on heating effects, not the biological effects that patients may be experiencing. What this means for you is that if you're experiencing unexplained symptoms, your doctor may be more open to considering EMF exposure as a contributing factor than you might expect.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
The proportion of general practitioners (GPs) in Germany who assume health impacts of electromagnetic fields (EMF) is assessed. Moreover, factors associated with this risk perception are examined.
A 7% random sample was drawn from online lists of all the GPs working in Germany. 1,867 doctors rece...
37.3% of responders to the short and 57.5% of responders to the long questionnaire agreed "that ther...
About a third of German GPs associate EMF with health complaints and thus deviate considerably from current scientific knowledge. To avoid a strong selection bias in the surveys of the perception of EMF risks, use of short questionnaires and late responder analysis are recommended.
Show BibTeX
@article{b_2010_german_wide_cross_sectional_2305,
author = {Kowall B and Breckenkamp J and Heyer K and Berg-Beckhoff G.},
title = {German wide cross sectional survey on health impacts of electromagnetic fields in the view of general practitioners.},
year = {2010},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20020175/},
}