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QUALIFEX Health related quality of life and radio frequency electromagnetic field exposure: Prospective cohort study. 27.11.2007 Patrizia Frei, MSc Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland. Basics (1). Radio frequency electromagnetic fields ( RF EMF ).
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QUALIFEXHealth related quality of life and radio frequency electromagnetic field exposure: Prospective cohort study 27.11.2007 Patrizia Frei, MSc Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland
ISEE CEEC Conference, Czech Republic, Nov 26th-29th Basics (1) • Radio frequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMF)
ISEE CEEC Conference, Czech Republic, Nov 26th-29th Basics (2) • Radio frequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMF): • Radio transmitters • Television transmitters • Tetrapol (radio communication for authorities) • Mobile phones (GSM and UMTS) • Mobile phone base stations (GSM and UMTS) • Cordless phones (DECT) • Wireless LAN • Non-specific symptoms that are frequently attributed to RF EMF: • headache • dizziness • tiredness • discomfort • itching skin • sleep disorder
ISEE CEEC Conference, Czech Republic, Nov 26th-29th QUALIFEX: Study Overview Year 1 (2007) Years 2, 3 & 4 (2008 until 2010) • Exposimeter • Study: • Measurements • with exposimeter • Diary • Questionnaire • on exposure • 200 participants • Main Study: • Questionnaire on expo- • sure and health • Follow-up after one year • 2000 participants Exposure assessment method • Sleep Study: • Measurement • with Actimeter • Sleep diary • 120 participants
ISEE CEEC Conference, Czech Republic, Nov 26th-29th QUALIFEX: Study Overview Year 1 (2007) Years 2, 3 & 4 (2008 until 2010) • Exposimeter • Study: • Measurements • with exposimeter • Diary • Questionnaire • on exposure • 200 participants • Main Study: • Questionnaire on expo- • sure and health • Follow-up after one year • 2000 participants Exposure assessment method • Sleep Study: • Measurement • with Actimeter • Sleep diary • 120 participants
ISEE CEEC Conference, Czech Republic, Nov 26th-29th Exposimeter Exposimeter study Study area
ISEE CEEC Conference, Czech Republic, Nov 26th-29th Exposimeter study: Statistical methods • Summary statistics: • Median and interquartile range • Statistical analysis: • Significance test of group difference: Wilcoxon rank-sum (Mann-Whitney) test • Level of significance: * 0.01 < p < 0.05 ** 0.001 < p < 0.01 *** p < 0.001
ISEE CEEC Conference, Czech Republic, Nov 26th-29th lunch break train train call with cordless phone station tram office bedroom WLAN Preliminary results (1): example of a daily exposure pattern
ISEE CEEC Conference, Czech Republic, Nov 26th-29th Preliminary results (2): Results from the first 140 study participants • Median exposure over one week: 0.20 V/m (interquartile range: 0.15-0.27 V/m) • Contributions of the different sources to the total exposure
ISEE CEEC Conference, Czech Republic, Nov 26th-29th Preliminary results (3): Comparison of different groups • Living close to mobile phone base stations or a radio/TV transmitter (fixed transmitter) • Owning a cordless phone • Owning a mobile phone • Owning WLAN
ISEE CEEC Conference, Czech Republic, Nov 26th-29th *** ** ** * 1. Living close to a fixed transmitter ***
ISEE CEEC Conference, Czech Republic, Nov 26th-29th *** * 2. Owning a cordless phone
ISEE CEEC Conference, Czech Republic, Nov 26th-29th ** *** 3. Owning a mobile phone
ISEE CEEC Conference, Czech Republic, Nov 26th-29th *** * * 4. Owning WLAN
ISEE CEEC Conference, Czech Republic, Nov 26th-29th Conclusions and Outlook • In our sample of 140 persons, the main contributions to the total exposure is due to mobile phones, cordless phones and mobile phone base stations • In terms of total exposure, there are significant differences between persons living close to transmitters and those not, and between people owning a mobile phone and those not • Further multivariable analyses are needed to investigate combined effects of all predictors (multiple linear regression model)