Adverse health indicators correlating with sparsely populated areas in Sweden.
Hallberg O. · 2007
View Original AbstractRural areas saw health decline after 1997, correlating with higher mobile phone power output needed in areas with poor cell coverage.
Plain English Summary
Swedish researchers analyzed health data across 21 counties and found that rural areas, which were traditionally the healthiest places to live, experienced declining health after 1997. The decline correlated strongly with higher mobile phone power output levels needed in areas with poor cell tower coverage, suggesting that increased radiation exposure from phones working harder to maintain connections may be impacting public health.
Why This Matters
This study reveals a troubling reversal of a centuries-old pattern where rural living meant better health outcomes. The timing is significant - 1997 marked the widespread adoption of digital mobile phones in Sweden. What makes this research particularly compelling is that it uses population density as a proxy for mobile phone power output, since phones must transmit at higher power levels in areas with fewer cell towers. The science demonstrates that where phones work harder to maintain connections, health outcomes worsen. This pattern isn't unique to Sweden - the researchers found similar trends in Denmark and Norway. The reality is that millions of people in rural areas may be experiencing higher EMF exposures precisely because they live in areas with poor cellular infrastructure, forcing their devices to operate at maximum power more frequently.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
In this study, health parameters were related to the population density, which is a well defined, rather than an estimated variable.
Statistics were obtained from different authorities in Sweden. Data were correlated to the populatio...
Several health quality measures showed that people in sparsely populated counties in Sweden (as well...
The two factors having the strongest correlation with decreased health quality were the estimated average power output from mobile phones (positive correlation) and the reported coverage from the global system for mobile communication base stations (negative correlation) in each county.
Show BibTeX
@article{o._2007_adverse_health_indicators_correlating_2143,
author = {Hallberg O.},
title = {Adverse health indicators correlating with sparsely populated areas in Sweden.},
year = {2007},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17220707/},
}