Epidemiological study (observational study)

Symptoms experienced by users of digital cellular phones: a study of a French engineering school epidem.

By: Santini R, Seigne M, Bonhomme-Faivre L, Bouffet S, Defrasne E, Sage M

Published in: Electromagn Biol Med 2002; 21 (1): 81-88

To investigate the influence of digital cellular phone use on nonspecific health symptoms among students and workers at a French engineering school.

general symptoms (headache, concentration difficulties, loss of memory, tiredness, sleep disturbance); symptoms during use (discomfort, burning sensation of the face, pricking sensation on the ear, warmth of the ear)

Type of risk estimation:

questionnaire: model of digital cellular phone used, type of antenna (short, long, incorporated), number of calls/day, calling duration/day, duration of ownership

Group	Description
Reference group 1	nonuser
Group 2	users
Group 3	GSM 800 MHz users
Group 4	DCS 1800 MHz users
Group 5	cellular phone user only
Group 6	cellular phone and video display terminal users
Group 7	calling duration/day < 2 min
Group 8	calling duration/day > 2 min
Group 9	number of calls/day < 2
Group 10	number of calls/day > 2

Type	Value
Participants	161

Statistical analysis method:

78 respondents (48.5 %) owned a cellular phone, 83 subjects (51.5 %) had no cellular phone. No significant difference was observed for general symptoms (headache, concentration difficulties, loss of memory, tiredness, sleep disturbances) between users and nonusers of digital cellular phones. The results showed that cellular phone users more often complained of discomfort, warmth, and pricking on the ear while using the phone as a function of calling duration and number of calls per day. Users of phones operating on 1800 MHz complained significantly more often of concentration difficulties than users of 900 MHz cellular phone. The combined use of cellular phones and video display terminals significantly increased concentration difficulties. Female cellular phone users had significantly more sleep disturbances than male users.

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