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Comparison of symptoms experienced by users of analogue and digital mobile phones: a Swedish-Norwegian epidemiological study.

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Hanson Mild, K, Oftedal, G, Sandstrom, M, Wilen, J, Tynes, T, Haugsdal, B, Hauger E · 1998

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Heavier mobile phone use correlated with more headaches and fatigue regardless of phone technology, highlighting the importance of limiting talk time.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Swedish and Norwegian researchers compared symptoms between users of older analog mobile phones (NMT) and newer digital phones (GSM) in a large study of over 17,000 people. Surprisingly, they found that digital phone users actually reported fewer symptoms like warmth sensations around the ear compared to analog users, contradicting their initial hypothesis. However, both phone types showed a clear pattern: the more people talked on their phones, the more they experienced symptoms like headaches, fatigue, and ear warmth.

Why This Matters

This 1998 study provides important context for understanding mobile phone health effects, particularly because it compares different technologies rather than just looking at phone use versus no use. The finding that digital GSM phones produced fewer symptoms than analog NMT phones challenges simple assumptions about newer technology being worse. However, the dose-response relationship the researchers found is significant: regardless of phone type, heavier users consistently reported more symptoms. This pattern aligns with what we see across EMF research - exposure duration and intensity matter. What makes this study particularly valuable is its large sample size and the fact that it captured the transition period between analog and digital mobile technology, offering insights we can't replicate today.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Study Details

Our main hypothesis was that GSM users experience more symptoms than NMT users. A cross-sectional epidemiological investigation was initiated including 6379 GSM users and 5613 NMT users in Sweden, and 2500 from each category in Norway

The people were randomly selected from subscription registers where a company was the subscriber, bu...

The estimated adjusted response rates were 64% for Norway and 76% for Sweden. The response rates wer...

Cite This Study
Hanson Mild, K, Oftedal, G, Sandstrom, M, Wilen, J, Tynes, T, Haugsdal, B, Hauger E (1998). Comparison of symptoms experienced by users of analogue and digital mobile phones: a Swedish-Norwegian epidemiological study. Arbetslivsrapport 1998:23.
Show BibTeX
@article{mild_1998_comparison_of_symptoms_experienced_2153,
  author = {Hanson Mild and K and Oftedal and G and Sandstrom and M and Wilen and J and Tynes and T and Haugsdal and B and Hauger E},
  title = {Comparison of symptoms experienced by users of analogue and digital mobile phones: a Swedish-Norwegian epidemiological study.},
  year = {1998},
  
  url = {http://nile.lub.lu.se/arbarch/arb/1998/arb1998_23.pdf},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Yes, a large Swedish-Norwegian study of over 17,000 people found analog NMT phone users reported more symptoms than digital GSM users. Digital phone users experienced significantly fewer warmth sensations around the ear, contradicting researchers' initial expectations about newer technology being more harmful.
Yes, this 1998 epidemiological study found a clear dose-response relationship. Both analog and digital phone users who talked longer or made more calls per day experienced significantly more symptoms including headaches, fatigue, and ear warmth sensations.
The study found GSM users had statistically significant lower risk for warmth sensations around the ear compared to analog NMT users. Researchers suggest differences in radio frequency emissions, phone temperature, and ergonomic factors between the two systems may explain this finding.
The 1998 study tracked symptoms including warmth sensations on, behind, or around the ear, headaches, and fatigue. Swedish data also showed trends toward fewer headaches and fatigue in digital GSM users compared to analog NMT phone users.
Over 17,000 mobile phone users participated in this large epidemiological study comparing analog NMT and digital GSM phones. The study achieved response rates of 64% in Norway and 76% in Sweden, with equal participation between both phone types.