Medical/biological study (experimental study)

Are media warnings about the adverse health effects of modern life self-fulfilling? An experimental study on idiopathic environmental intolerance attributed to electromagnetic fields (IEI-EMF) med./bio.

By: Witthöft M, Rubin GJ

Published in: J Psychosom Res 2013; 74 (3): 206-212

Aim of study (acc. to author)

To test whether media reports promote the development of electrosensitivity.

Background/further details

Probands were randomly assigned to watch a television report about the adverse health effects of WiFi (n=76) or a control film (n=71). After watching their film, participants received a sham exposure to a WiFi signal for 15 minutes. During this sham exposure participants were asked to monitor for possible symptoms that might develop and were told that they could ask to terminate the exposure if any symptoms became too strong.

Endpoint

hypersensitivity/subjective complaints: symptoms following sham exposure, worries about electromagnetic fields, attributing symptoms to the sham exposure, perceived sensitivity to electromagnetic fields

Exposure

- W-LAN/WiFi

No exposure details are available.

Exposed system:

human

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

hypersensitivity/subjective complaints: electrosensitivity, symptoms, worries about electromagnetic fields, state anxiety, somatization of anxiety, somatosensory amplification (diverse psychological tests, questionnaires)

Investigated system:

investigation on living organism

Investigated organ system:

brain/CNS

Time of investigation:

before exposure
after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

Watching the film about the adverse health effects of WiFi increased the worries about electromagnetic fields compared to the group having watched the control film. This effect was stronger in people with higher state anxiety.
82 of the 147 participants reported symptoms which they attributed to the sham exposure. Participants who watched the WiFi-film reported more and stronger symptoms after the sham exposure than those who watched the control-film, especially participants with higher state anxiety. Attributions of symptoms to the WiFi sham exposure were strongest in people who watched the WiFi-film and who also had higher levels of state anxiety, with high levels of somatization and more concerns about electromagnetic fields.
The likelihood of people from the experimental group who attributed their symptoms to the sham exposure increased believing themselves to be electrosensitive compared to people having watched the control film.
The study demonstrated that media reports about the possible adverse health effects of modern technologies could elevate levels of concern among the public and increase the likelihood of reported symptoms following sham exposure.

Study character:

medical/biological study
experimental study
full/main study

Study funded by

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG; German Research Foundation)
Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD; German Academic Exchange Service), Germany

Comments on this article

Aschermann C (2014): [Factors Marking the Public Opinion on Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity in Sciences and Media- Current Examples and Background]

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