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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Acknowledgments
The study received funding entirely from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nuclear Safety, and Nature Protection. (Project number: St.Sch. 4545) The study sponsor had no involvement in study design; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the article for publication.
Conflict of interest statement
All authors declare that the answer to the questions on the competing interest form are all no and therefore have nothing to declare.
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Kowall, B., Breckenkamp, J., Heyer, K. et al. German wide cross sectional survey on health impacts of electromagnetic fields in the view of general practitioners. Int J Public Health 55, 507–512 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-009-0110-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-009-0110-2