Epidemiological study (observational study)

The association between use of electronic media and prevalence of headache in adolescents: results from a population-based cross-sectional study epidem.

By: Milde-Busch A, von Kries R, Thomas S, Heinrich S, Straube A, Radon K

Published in: BMC Neurol 2010; 10: 12

Aim of study (acc. to author)

A cross-sectional study was conducted in Germany to investigate the association between use of electronic media and prevalence of headache in adolescents.

Further details

This study is part of the MobilEe project, an epidemiological investigation of possible effects of exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on well-being in children and adolescents.
Adolescents who reported at least one episode of headache per month during the last six months, were invited to answer a questionnaire for a more detailed investigation of the headache type.

Endpoint/type of risk estimation

headache (migraine, tension-type headache, miscellaneous headache)

Type of risk estimation:

prevalence

Exposure

- mobile communications
- digital mobile phone
- personal

Assessment

questionnaire: daily mobile phone use

Exposure groups

Group	Description
Reference group 1	daily mobile phone use: not at all
Group 2	daily mobile phone use: < 5 min
Group 3	daily mobile phone use: 6 - 15 min
Group 4	daily mobile phone use: 16 - 30 min
Group 5	daily mobile phone use: > 30 min

Population

Group:
- children
Age: 13–17 years
Characteristics: adolescents
Observation period: not stated
Study location: Germany (Bavaria)

Study size

Type	Value
Total	1,025

Statistical analysis method:

logistic regression

(adjustment:

age
sex
socioeconomic status
family condition

)

Results (acc. to author)

77 % of the adolescents reported no or little (< 5 min/day) mobile phone use. 489 out of 1025 subjects reported headache.
No association between mobile phone use and headache was observed. The authors concluded that (apart from an association between listening to music and overall headache) no consistent associations between the use of electronic media and different types of headache were observed.

Study funded by

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

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