Exposure to non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation from mobile telephony and the association with psychiatric symptoms

• Autor(a) principal: Denize Francisca da Silva
• Data de Publicação: 2015
• Outros Autores: Warley Rocha Barros, Maria da Conceição Chagas de Almeida, Marco Antônio Vasconcelos Rêgo
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng; por
• Título da fonte: Cadernos de Saúde Pública
• Texto Completo: https://cadernos.ensp.fiocruz.br/ojs/index.php/csp/article/view/5787
• topic: Nonionizing Radiation; Radiation Exposure; Cell Phones; Psychic Symptoms; Radiação Não Ionizante; Exposição à Radiação; Telefones Celulares; Sintomas Psíquicos

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the association between exposure to non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation from mobile phone base stations and psychiatric symptoms. In a cross-sectional study in Salvador, Bahia State, Brazil, 440 individuals were interviewed. Psychiatric complaints and diagnoses were the dependent variables and distance from the individual’s residence to the base station was considered the main independent variable. Hierarchical logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess confounding. An association was observed between psychiatric symptoms and residential proximity to the base station and different forms of mobile phone use (making calls with weak signal coverage, keeping the mobile phone close to the body, having two or more chips, and never turning off the phone while sleeping), and with the use of other electronic devices. The study concluded that exposure to electromagnetic radiation from mobile phone base stations and other electronic devices was associated with psychiatric symptoms, independently of gender, schooling, and smoking status. The adoption of precautionary measures to reduce such exposure is recommended.