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International Journal of Public Health

Erschienen in:

01.10.2010 | Original Article

German wide cross sectional survey on health impacts of electromagnetic fields in the view of general practitioners

verfasst von: Bernd Kowall, Jürgen Breckenkamp, Kristina Heyer, Gabriele Berg-Beckhoff

Erschienen in: International Journal of Public Health | Ausgabe 5/2010

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Abstract

Objectives

The proportion of general practitioners (GPs) in Germany who assume health impacts of electromagnetic fields (EMF) is assessed. Moreover, factors associated with this risk perception are examined.

Methods

A 7% random sample was drawn from online lists of all the GPs working in Germany. 1,867 doctors received a long version of a self-administered postal questionnaire about EMF and health (response rate 23.3%), 928 doctors received a short version (response rate 49.1%).

Results

37.3% of responders to the short and 57.5% of responders to the long questionnaire agreed “that there are persons whose health complaints are caused by EMF when legal limit values are met”. A late responder analysis for the survey with the short questionnaire led to a still lower estimate of 29% for GPs believing in health-relevant effects of EMF.

Conclusion

About a third of German GPs associate EMF with health complaints and thus deviate considerably from current scientific knowledge. To avoid a strong selection bias in the surveys of the perception of EMF risks, use of short questionnaires and late responder analysis are recommended.

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Titel: German wide cross sectional survey on health impacts of electromagnetic fields in the view of general practitioners
verfasst von: Bernd Kowall
Jürgen Breckenkamp
Kristina Heyer
Gabriele Berg-Beckhoff
Publikationsdatum: 01.10.2010
Verlag: SP Birkhäuser Verlag Basel
Erschienen in: International Journal of Public Health / Ausgabe 5/2010
Print ISSN: 1661-8556
Elektronische ISSN: 1661-8564
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-009-0110-2

Springer Medizin

Abstract

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion

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