Headache in the international cohort study of mobile phone use and health (COSMOS) in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom

Authors: Traini E, Smith RB, Vermeulen R, Kromhout H, Schüz J, Feychting M, Auvinen A, Poulsen AH, Deltour I, Muller DC, Heller J, Tettamanti G, Elliott P, Huss A, Toledano MB

Year: 2024

Category: Epidemiology

Journal: Environmental Research

DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118290

URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935124001944

Abstract

Overview

Headache is a widespread condition with major impacts on health globally. As concerns mount over possible effects of long-term mobile phone use on headache, particularly due to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs), this study prospectively examines these associations in the Dutch and UK cohorts of the COSMOS study (N = 78,437). Mobile phone use (including call duration, texting, and hands-free device use) and the frequency of headaches and migraines were self-reported, supplemented with objective operator data for voice call durations. Analysis covers baseline data from 2009-2012 and follow-up from 2015-2018.

Findings

Analysis mutually adjusted for call-time and text messaging showed that high call-time category participants had an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 1.04 (95% CI: 0.94-1.15) for headache, with no clear trend across call-time duration.
Increased risk of weekly headache was found for those in the high category of text messaging (OR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.25-1.56), with a significant trend toward increased headache frequency with more texting.
Texting, which involves negligible RF-EMF exposure, was more strongly associated with headaches than call-time (a proxy for RF-EMF exposure).
The findings are robust to adjustments for hands-free use and mutually adjusted exposure metrics, suggesting other mechanisms beyond RF-EMFs, potentially lifestyle or behavioral factors, underlie the observed headache risk.
Consistent patterns were observed for severe weekly headaches and migraines, especially linked to higher texting frequency (P trend < 0.001).

Supporting and Background Evidence

Other COSMOS studies in Sweden and Finland found limited or no clear trend between mobile phone call-time and headache risk, though stronger effects were seen with UMTS (3G) network use compared to GSM (2G).
Previous research notes the strongest associations between headache and mobile phone use occur with activities that involve minimal RF-EMF exposure, such as texting and gaming, highlighting the need to separate RF-EMF and behavioral factors.

Limitations

The study acknowledges difficulties in accurately quantifying true RF-EMF exposure and notes that other aspects like screen time, blue light, and late-night use may affect outcomes. The cohort composition may also not reflect the general population in all respects.

Conclusion

Key Result: High-frequency use of mobile phones, especially texting, is associated with increased risk of headaches and migraines. These associations are primarily attributed to non-RF-EMF related factors, most likely lifestyle or behavioral aspects of mobile device use, rather than direct RF-EMF exposure.

It remains crucial for future research to consider both RF-EMF and alternative exposure pathways (such as behavioral patterns and time of use) when evaluating the health risks linked to mobile phone usage and electromagnetic fields.

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