Environmental Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields Exposure at Home, Mobile and Cordless Phone Use, and Sleep Problems in 7-Year-Old Children

PLoS One · 2015 · Mixed · Low evidence

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MixedLow evidencePaper 2710

Study snapshot

PublicationPLoS One · 2015

Study typecohort

Reported directionMixed

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Background: We evaluated if exposure to RF-EMF was associated with reported quality of sleep in 2,361 children, aged 7 years. Methods: This study was embedded in the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development (ABCD) birth cohort study. When children were about five years old, school and residential exposure to RF-EMF from base stations was assessed with a geospatial model (NISMap) and from indoor sources (cordless phone/WiFi) using parental self-reports. Parents also reported their children's use of mobile or cordless phones. When children were seven years old, we evaluated sleep quality as measured with the Child Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) filled in by parents. Of eight CSHQ subscales, we evaluated sleep onset delay, sleep duration, night wakenings, parasomnias and daytime sleepiness with logistic or negative binomial regression models, adjusting for child's age and sex and indicators of socio-economic position of the parents. We evaluated the remaining three subscales (bedtime resistance, sleep anxiety, sleep disordered breathing) as unrelated outcomes (negative control) because these were a priori hypothesised not to be associated with RF-EMF. Results: Sleep onset delay, night wakenings, parasomnias and daytime sleepiness were not associated with residential exposure to RF-EMF from base stations. Sleep duration scores were associated with RF-EMF levels from base stations. Higher use mobile phones was associated with less favourable sleep duration, night wakenings and parasomnias, and also with bedtime resistance. Cordless phone use was not related to any of the sleeping scores. Conclusion: Given the different results across the evaluated RF-EMF exposure sources and the observed association between mobile phone use and the negative control sleep scale, our study does not support the hypothesis that it is the exposure to RF-EMF that is detrimental to sleep quality in 7-year old children, but potentially other factors that are related to mobile phone usage.

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AI evidence extraction

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Study typecohort

Effect directionmixed

PopulationChildren aged 7 years from the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development (ABCD) birth cohort

Sample size2361

ExposureRF · Exposure assessed at ~5 years; sleep outcomes assessed at 7 years

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Residential RF-EMF exposure from base stations was not associated with sleep onset delay, night wakenings, parasomnias, or daytime sleepiness; sleep duration scores were associated with base-station RF-EMF levels. Higher mobile phone use was associated with less favourable sleep duration, night wakenings, and parasomnias, and also with bedtime resistance (a negative control outcome). Cordless phone use was not related to any sleep scores.

Outcomes measured

Sleep quality (Child Sleep Habits Questionnaire, CSHQ)
Sleep onset delay
Sleep duration
Night wakenings
Parasomnias
Daytime sleepiness
Bedtime resistance (negative control)
Sleep anxiety (negative control)
Sleep disordered breathing (negative control)

Limitations

Indoor RF-EMF sources (cordless phone/WiFi) assessed by parental self-report
Mobile/cordless phone use reported by parents (potential reporting/measurement error)
Sleep outcomes based on parent-completed questionnaire (CSHQ)
Association observed with a negative control outcome (bedtime resistance), suggesting potential residual confounding or non-RF factors related to phone use

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "cohort",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "base station; mobile phone; cordless phone; WiFi (indoor sources)",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "Exposure assessed at ~5 years; sleep outcomes assessed at 7 years"
  },
  "population": "Children aged 7 years from the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development (ABCD) birth cohort",
  "sample_size": 2361,
  "outcomes": [
    "Sleep quality (Child Sleep Habits Questionnaire, CSHQ)",
    "Sleep onset delay",
    "Sleep duration",
    "Night wakenings",
    "Parasomnias",
    "Daytime sleepiness",
    "Bedtime resistance (negative control)",
    "Sleep anxiety (negative control)",
    "Sleep disordered breathing (negative control)"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Residential RF-EMF exposure from base stations was not associated with sleep onset delay, night wakenings, parasomnias, or daytime sleepiness; sleep duration scores were associated with base-station RF-EMF levels. Higher mobile phone use was associated with less favourable sleep duration, night wakenings, and parasomnias, and also with bedtime resistance (a negative control outcome). Cordless phone use was not related to any sleep scores.",
  "effect_direction": "mixed",
  "limitations": [
    "Indoor RF-EMF sources (cordless phone/WiFi) assessed by parental self-report",
    "Mobile/cordless phone use reported by parents (potential reporting/measurement error)",
    "Sleep outcomes based on parent-completed questionnaire (CSHQ)",
    "Association observed with a negative control outcome (bedtime resistance), suggesting potential residual confounding or non-RF factors related to phone use"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "RF-EMF",
    "radiofrequency electromagnetic fields",
    "base stations",
    "geospatial model",
    "NISMap",
    "mobile phone use",
    "cordless phone",
    "WiFi",
    "sleep quality",
    "children",
    "ABCD cohort",
    "CSHQ"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "school-wi-fi",
      "weight": 0.32,
      "reason": "Indoor sources included WiFi assessed via parental report; child sleep outcomes evaluated."
    }
  ]
}

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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: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139869
PubMed: 26509676

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