Do somatic symptom distress and attribution predict symptoms associated with environmental

Journal of Psychosomatic Research · 2024 · Mixed · Moderate evidence

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MixedModerate evidencePaper 208

Study snapshot

PublicationJournal of Psychosomatic Research · 2024

Study typecohort

Reported directionMixed

Evidence ratingModerate

Abstract

Do somatic symptom distress and attribution predict symptoms associated with environmental factors? Köteles F, Nordin S. Do somatic symptom distress and attribution predict symptoms associated with environmental factors? J Psychosom Res. 2024 Mar 1;179:111637. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2024.111637. Abstract Objective: Not much is known on the development of symptoms associated with environmental factors (SAEF), also known as (idiopathic) environmental intolerances. Findings from qualitative studies suggest that appearance of symptoms might be the first step, followed by the acquisition of a specific attribution. The current study investigated cross-sectional and longitudinal (three years) associations between attribution and symptoms with respect to symptoms associated with chemical substances, certain indoor environments (buildings), sounds, and electromagnetic fields (EMFs). Methods: We used data from the first two waves of the population-based Västerbotten Environmental Health Study (n = 2336). Participants completed the Patient Health Questionnaire Somatic Symptom Scale (PHQ-15), the Environmental Symptom-Attribution Scale, and answered single questions on the four aforementioned SAEFs. Results: Using binary logistic regression analyses, all four SAEFs showed significant cross-sectional associations with somatic symptom distress and the respective attribution. In the longitudinal analysis, development of SAEF-Sound and SAEF-Chemicals were predicted by both somatic symptom distress and attribution. SAEF-EMFs was predicted only by attribution, whereas neither somatic symptom distress nor attribution forecasted SAEF-Buildings. Conclusion: Overall, these findings suggest that attribution (i.e., a specific expectation) plays a substantial role in the development and maintenance of many SAEFs. Open access paper: sciencedirect.com

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AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typecohort

Effect directionmixed

PopulationPopulation-based sample from the Västerbotten Environmental Health Study

Sample size2336

Exposurethree years (longitudinal follow-up); also cross-sectional at baseline

Evidence strengthModerateConfidence: 74% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

All four SAEFs (chemicals, buildings, sounds, EMFs) showed significant cross-sectional associations with somatic symptom distress and the respective attribution. Longitudinally, development of SAEF-Sound and SAEF-Chemicals was predicted by both somatic symptom distress and attribution; SAEF-EMFs was predicted only by attribution; neither somatic symptom distress nor attribution forecasted SAEF-Buildings.

Outcomes measured

Symptoms associated with environmental factors (SAEF), including SAEF-EMFs
Somatic symptom distress (PHQ-15)
Environmental symptom attribution (Environmental Symptom-Attribution Scale)

Limitations

Exposure is about self-reported symptoms/attribution related to environmental factors rather than measured EMF exposure parameters (e.g., frequency, SAR).
Observational design (cross-sectional and longitudinal associations) limits causal inference.

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "cohort",
  "exposure": {
    "band": null,
    "source": "other",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "three years (longitudinal follow-up); also cross-sectional at baseline"
  },
  "population": "Population-based sample from the Västerbotten Environmental Health Study",
  "sample_size": 2336,
  "outcomes": [
    "Symptoms associated with environmental factors (SAEF), including SAEF-EMFs",
    "Somatic symptom distress (PHQ-15)",
    "Environmental symptom attribution (Environmental Symptom-Attribution Scale)"
  ],
  "main_findings": "All four SAEFs (chemicals, buildings, sounds, EMFs) showed significant cross-sectional associations with somatic symptom distress and the respective attribution. Longitudinally, development of SAEF-Sound and SAEF-Chemicals was predicted by both somatic symptom distress and attribution; SAEF-EMFs was predicted only by attribution; neither somatic symptom distress nor attribution forecasted SAEF-Buildings.",
  "effect_direction": "mixed",
  "limitations": [
    "Exposure is about self-reported symptoms/attribution related to environmental factors rather than measured EMF exposure parameters (e.g., frequency, SAR).",
    "Observational design (cross-sectional and longitudinal associations) limits causal inference."
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "moderate",
  "confidence": 0.74,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "somatic symptom distress",
    "attribution",
    "environmental intolerances",
    "idiopathic environmental intolerance",
    "SAEF",
    "electromagnetic fields",
    "EMFs",
    "PHQ-15",
    "Environmental Symptom-Attribution Scale",
    "Västerbotten Environmental Health Study",
    "longitudinal",
    "logistic regression"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "who-icnirp",
      "weight": 0.2,
      "reason": "Discusses symptoms attributed to EMFs and the role of attribution/expectation; relevant to broader EMF health evidence discussions, though no policy body is directly mentioned."
    }
  ]
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2024.111637
PubMed: Not supplied

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