Mobile phone use, school EMF levels & related symptoms: cross-sectional survey among high school students in Turkish city

Authors: Durusoy R, Hassoy H, Özkurt A, Karababa AO

Year: 2017 Jun 2

Category: Epidemiology

Journal: Environ Health

DOI: 10.1186/s12940-017-0257-x

URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28577556

Abstract

Overview

The study focused on determining the health outcomes of electromagnetic fields (EMF) emanating from mobile phones and nearby base stations, surveying a large sample of high school students. A critical aim was to understand any potential dose-response relationships indicating increased health risks with higher EMF exposures.

Methods

A total of 2150 high school students from Izmir participated in this study, providing data via survey questionnaires.
Study duration spanned from November 2009 to April 2011, including EMF level assessments with the Aaronia Spectran HF-4060 device.
Symptoms in students were analyzed in relation to various mobile phone use categories and proximity to the school's EMF sources.

Findings

Statistical analysis revealed that symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, and sleep disturbances had a correlated increase with the intensification of mobile phone use. Notably, specific symptoms like warming of the ear and flushing were associated with the usage characteristics, suggesting a direct dose-response relationship:

Headache, fatigue, and sleep disturbances were more frequent among intense mobile phone users.
There were limited findings connecting symptoms to proximity to base stations, and no direct correlation with measured school EMF levels was established.

Conclusion

The research confirmed several associations between increased usage of mobile phones and several adverse symptoms in high school students. While the study did not link these symptoms directly to EMF levels at schools, it highlighted the importance of mitigating measures such as limited call durations and the use of earphones to potentially reduce health risks.

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