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Symptoms experienced in connection with mobile phone use
G Oftedal1, J Wilén, M Sandström
1SINTEF Unimed, Trondheim, Norway. gunnhild.oftedal@phys.ntnu.no
Occupational Medicine (Oxford, England)
|July 27, 2000
Summary
Many mobile phone (MP) users in Norway and Sweden report symptoms like headaches and fatigue. While awareness is high, these MP-related symptoms do not appear to indicate a serious health issue.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Environmental Health
- Public Health
Background:
- Mobile phone (MP) use has become widespread globally.
- Anecdotal reports suggest potential health symptoms associated with MP usage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of self-reported symptoms linked to mobile phone use in Norway and Sweden.
- To characterize the nature and duration of these symptoms.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted.
- 17,000 individuals who use mobile phones for work were surveyed.
- Data collected on symptom experience, type, onset, duration, and healthcare seeking behavior.
Main Results:
- 31% of Norwegian and 13% of Swedish respondents reported at least one MP-related symptom.
- Common symptoms included warmth on the ear, facial skin burning, and headaches.
- Symptoms typically appeared during or shortly after calls and lasted up to 2 hours.
Conclusions:
- A significant portion of mobile phone users report experiencing symptoms potentially related to device use.
- The reported symptoms, while acknowledged, do not appear to represent a widespread serious health concern.
- Users demonstrate awareness by taking steps to mitigate symptoms.
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