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Use of wireless telephones and self-reported health symptoms: a population-based study among Swedish adolescents aged 15-19 years.

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Soderqvist F, Carlberg M, Hardell L. · 2008

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Regular teen wireless phone users report significantly more headaches, sleep problems, and concentration difficulties than occasional users.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Swedish researchers surveyed 2,000 teenagers about their wireless phone use and health symptoms. They found that regular users of mobile and cordless phones reported more health problems including tiredness, headaches, anxiety, concentration difficulties, and sleep disturbances compared to less frequent users. Nearly all teens (99.6%) had access to mobile phones, with girls using them more frequently than boys.

Why This Matters

This study provides important early evidence of health symptoms associated with wireless phone use among the demographic that uses these devices most intensively. What makes this research particularly significant is its focus on adolescents, whose developing brains may be more vulnerable to EMF exposure. The reality is that the symptoms reported - headaches, concentration problems, sleep disturbances, and anxiety - align closely with what researchers have documented in other EMF sensitivity studies. While the authors appropriately note the exploratory nature of their findings, the consistency of symptoms across regular users suggests a pattern worth serious attention. The science demonstrates that young people's brains absorb significantly more radiation than adults due to their thinner skulls and developing nervous systems, making these findings especially concerning for parents and policymakers.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Study Details

Despite the last years of rapid increase in use of wireless phones little data on the use of these devices has been systematically assessed among young persons. The aim of this descriptive cross-sectional study was to assess use of wireless phones and to study such use in relation to explanatory factors and self-reported health symptoms.

A postal questionnaire comprising 8 pages of 27 questions with 75 items in total was sent to 2000 Sw...

The questionnaire was answered by 63.5% of the study subjects. Most participants reported access to ...

Almost all adolescence in this study used a wireless phone, girls more than boys. The most frequent use was seen among the older adolescents, and those who watched TV extensively. The study further showed that perceived health and certain health symptoms seemed to be related to the use of wireless phones. However, this part of the investigation was explorative and should therefore be interpreted with caution since bias and chance findings due to multiple testing might have influenced the results. Potentially this study will stimulate more sophisticated studies that may also investigate directions of associations and whether, or to what degree, any mediation factors are involved.

Cite This Study
Soderqvist F, Carlberg M, Hardell L. (2008). Use of wireless telephones and self-reported health symptoms: a population-based study among Swedish adolescents aged 15-19 years. Environ Health. 7(1):18, 2008.
Show BibTeX
@article{f_2008_use_of_wireless_telephones_2606,
  author = {Soderqvist F and Carlberg M and Hardell L.},
  title = {Use of wireless telephones and self-reported health symptoms: a population-based study among Swedish adolescents aged 15-19 years.},
  year = {2008},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18495003/},
}
PubMed: 18495003

Cited By (21 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

Yes, a 2008 study of 2,000 Swedish teens found that regular users of both mobile and cordless phones reported more tiredness, headaches, anxiety, concentration difficulties, and sleep disturbances compared to less frequent users. About 67% were regular cordless phone users.
Swedish research found that girls generally used wireless phones more frequently than boys and reported poorer perceived health. The study of adolescents aged 15-19 showed that regular phone users experienced more health complaints regardless of gender.
Nearly all Swedish teenagers (99.6%) had access to mobile phones according to a 2008 population study. Usage increased with age, from 55.6% of 15-year-olds being regular users to 82.2% of 19-year-olds using phones regularly.
Yes, Swedish researchers found that watching TV increased the likelihood of wireless phone use among adolescents aged 15-19. The study showed this association remained significant even after adjusting for age and gender differences in the 2,000 participants.
Only 17.4% of Swedish teenagers reported using wired hands-free equipment 'anytime' with their phones, according to a 2008 study. This suggests most teens held phones directly against their heads during calls, potentially increasing radiation exposure.