Epidemiological study (observational study)

Mobile phone base stations and adverse health effects: phase 1 of a population-based, cross-sectional study in Germany epidem.

By: Blettner M, Schlehofer B, Breckenkamp J, Kowall B, Schmiedel S, Reis U, Potthoff P, Schüz J, Berg G

Published in: Occup Environ Med 2009; 66 (2): 118-123

Aim of study (acc. to author)

Aim of the first phase of a cross-sectional study conducted in Germany was to investigate the prevalence of concerns about mobile phone base station-related adverse health effects and attributions of health complaints.

Further details

A list of 38 health complaints was used to assess the adverse health effects. Exposure was assessed by calculating the distance between the residence and mobile phone base stations based on geodates.

Endpoint/type of risk estimation

concerns; health complaints e.g. cognition problems, pain, sleeping problems, skin reactions, gastrointestinal affections, visual problems

Type of risk estimation:

prevalence

Exposure

- mobile communications
- mobile phone base station
- residential

Assessment

questionnaire: estimated distance between residence and base station
calculation: distance between residence and base station based on geo-codes of the base stations and participant's address

Population

Group:
- men
- women
Age: 14–69 years
Characteristics: representative sample of a panel study
Observation period: 2004
Study location: Germany
Data source: TNS Infratest/Test Panel Institute

Study size

Type	Value
Total	51,444
Participants	30,047
Participation rate	58 %

Statistical analysis method:

logistic regression
multiple linear regression analysis

(adjustment:

age
sex
residential area
socioeconomic status

)

Results (acc. to author)

51.5 % of the participants lived within 500 m from a mobile phone base station according to geo-coding information. 41.6 % of the participants had correctly classified the distance as less or more than 500 m. 18.7 % of the participants were concerned about health effects from mobile phone base stations and 10.3 % attributed adverse health effects to the radiofrequent electromagnetic fields emitted by base stations. Participants who were concerned about or attributte adverse health effects to base stations and those living in the vicinity of a base station reported slightly more health complaints than others.This finding can however not be fully explained by concerns or attributions.

Study funded by

Deutsches Mobilfunk Forschungsprogramm (DMF; German Mobile Phone Research Programme) at Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS)

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