The effect of chronic exposure to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields on sleep quality, stress, depression and anxiety

2018 · Harm · Low evidence

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HarmLow evidencePaper 1950

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2018

Study typecross_sectional

Reported directionHarm

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

The effect of chronic exposure to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields on sleep quality, stress, depression and anxiety Bagheri Hosseinabadi M, Khanjani N, Ebrahimi MH, Haji B, Abdolahfard M. The effect of chronic exposure to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields on sleep quality, stress, depression and anxiety. Electromagn Biol Med. 2018 Dec 14:1-6. doi: 10.1080/15368378.2018.1545665. Abstract Exposure to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF) is inevitable in some industries. There are concerns about the possible effects of this exposure. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of chronic exposure to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields on sleep quality, stress, depression and anxiety among power plant workers. In this cross-sectional study, 132 power plant workers were included as the exposed group and 143 other workers were included as the unexposed group. The intensity of ELF-EMF at work stations was measured by using the IEEE Std C95.3.1 standard and then the time weighted average was calculated. Sleep quality, stress, depression and anxiety were measured by using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Questionnaire; and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale. The workers in the exposed group experienced significantly poorer sleep quality than the unexposed group. Depression was also more severe in the exposed group than the unexposed group (P = 0.039). Increased exposure to ELF-EMF had a direct and significant relation with increased stress, depression, and anxiety. Sleep quality in technicians with the highest exposure was significantly lower than the other groups. This study suggests that long-term occupational exposure to ELF-EMF may lead to depression, stress, anxiety and poor sleep quality. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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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 typecross_sectional

Effect directionharm

PopulationPower plant workers (exposed) and other workers (unexposed)

Sample size275

ExposureELF · chronic/long-term (occupational)

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

In a cross-sectional comparison, the exposed power plant workers reported significantly poorer sleep quality than unexposed workers, and depression was more severe in the exposed group (P = 0.039). Higher ELF-EMF exposure was reported to be directly and significantly related to higher stress, depression, and anxiety; technicians with the highest exposure had significantly lower sleep quality than other groups.

Outcomes measured

sleep quality
stress
depression
anxiety

Limitations

Cross-sectional design (cannot establish causality)
Exposure frequency and specific intensity values not reported in the abstract
Outcomes measured by questionnaires (self-reported)

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "cross_sectional",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "ELF",
    "source": "occupational (power plant workstations)",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "chronic/long-term (occupational)"
  },
  "population": "Power plant workers (exposed) and other workers (unexposed)",
  "sample_size": 275,
  "outcomes": [
    "sleep quality",
    "stress",
    "depression",
    "anxiety"
  ],
  "main_findings": "In a cross-sectional comparison, the exposed power plant workers reported significantly poorer sleep quality than unexposed workers, and depression was more severe in the exposed group (P = 0.039). Higher ELF-EMF exposure was reported to be directly and significantly related to higher stress, depression, and anxiety; technicians with the highest exposure had significantly lower sleep quality than other groups.",
  "effect_direction": "harm",
  "limitations": [
    "Cross-sectional design (cannot establish causality)",
    "Exposure frequency and specific intensity values not reported in the abstract",
    "Outcomes measured by questionnaires (self-reported)"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "extremely low-frequency",
    "ELF-EMF",
    "occupational exposure",
    "power plant workers",
    "sleep quality",
    "stress",
    "depression",
    "anxiety",
    "Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index",
    "DASS"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "occupational-exposure",
      "weight": 0.95,
      "reason": "Study evaluates chronic workplace ELF-EMF exposure among power plant workers and related health outcomes."
    }
  ]
}

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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: 10.1080/15368378.2018.1545665
PubMed: Not supplied

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