The Effects of Precautionary Messages about Electromagnetic Fields from Mobile Phones and Base Stations Revisited: The Role of Recipient Characteristics.

Risk analysis : an official publication of the Society for Risk Analysis · 2017 · Mixed · Moderate evidence

← Research stream

MixedModerate evidencePaper 4860

Study snapshot

PublicationRisk analysis : an official publication of the Society for Risk Analysis · 2017

Study typeother

Reported directionMixed

Evidence ratingModerate

Abstract

Precautionary messages have been shown to increase recipients' threat perceptions about radio-frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) emitted by mobile phones and mobile phone base stations. The current study explored the interplay of variables on the side of message recipients with this effect. The individual difference variables of interest were gender, trait anxiety, personal need for structure, and personal fear of invalidity. Furthermore, the study determined whether the increased threat perception is accompanied by emotional distress. A total of 298 university students answered a survey after reading either a basic text about RF-EMFs or a text including precautionary information. Linear multiple regression with interactions analyses showed that the effect of precautionary messages differed for people with different levels of trait anxiety. How trait anxiety was related to the effect of precautionary messages in turn depended on participants' gender. Personal need for structure and personal fear of invalidity were mostly unrelated to the effect of precautionary messages. Regarding participants' emotional distress, we found no difference in state anxiety scores between those participants who received precautionary information and those who did not. The findings show that the effects of precautionary messages on threat perception depend on individual difference variables such as recipients' trait anxiety and gender. Also, the fact that precautionary communication did not result in heightened state anxiety challenges the assumption that precautionary messages induce fear or anxiety.

Machine Enhanced Logic

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 typeother

Effect directionmixed

PopulationUniversity students

Sample size298

ExposureRF

Evidence strengthModerateConfidence: 74% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

After reading either a basic text about RF-EMFs or a text including precautionary information, participants' threat perception effects depended on individual differences: the effect varied by trait anxiety, and this relationship further depended on gender. Personal need for structure and personal fear of invalidity were mostly unrelated. There was no difference in state anxiety scores between participants who received precautionary information and those who did not.

Outcomes measured

Threat perception about RF-EMFs
Emotional distress (state anxiety scores)
Moderation by recipient characteristics (gender, trait anxiety, personal need for structure, personal fear of invalidity)

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "other",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "mobile phone, base station",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": null
  },
  "population": "University students",
  "sample_size": 298,
  "outcomes": [
    "Threat perception about RF-EMFs",
    "Emotional distress (state anxiety scores)",
    "Moderation by recipient characteristics (gender, trait anxiety, personal need for structure, personal fear of invalidity)"
  ],
  "main_findings": "After reading either a basic text about RF-EMFs or a text including precautionary information, participants' threat perception effects depended on individual differences: the effect varied by trait anxiety, and this relationship further depended on gender. Personal need for structure and personal fear of invalidity were mostly unrelated. There was no difference in state anxiety scores between participants who received precautionary information and those who did not.",
  "effect_direction": "mixed",
  "limitations": [],
  "evidence_strength": "moderate",
  "confidence": 0.74,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "precautionary messages",
    "risk communication",
    "RF-EMF",
    "mobile phones",
    "base stations",
    "threat perception",
    "trait anxiety",
    "gender",
    "state anxiety",
    "emotional distress"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": []
}

AI can be wrong. Always verify against the paper.

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: 10.1111/risa.12634
PubMed: 27163281

Read the original paper →

Related papers

← Back to the Research Library