Correlates of residential wiring code used in studies of health effects of residential electromagnetic fields.

American journal of epidemiology · 1998 · Unclear · Low evidence

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UnclearLow evidencePaper 5384

Study snapshot

PublicationAmerican journal of epidemiology · 1998

Study typecross_sectional

Reported directionUnclear

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

The home wiring code is the most widely used metric for studies of residential electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure and health effects. Despite the fact that wiring code often shows stronger correlations with disease outcome than more direct EMF home assessments, little is known about potential confounders of the wiring code association. In a study carried out in southern Connecticut in 1988-1991, the authors used strict and widely used criteria to assess the wiring codes of 3,259 homes in which respondents lived. They also collected other home characteristics from the tax assessor's office, estimated traffic density around the home from state data, and interviewed each subject (2,967 mothers of reproductive age) for personal characteristics. Women who lived in very high current configuration wiring coded homes were more likely to be in manual jobs and their homes were older (built before 1949, odds ratio (OR) = 73.24, 95% confidence interval (CI) 29.53-181.65) and had lower assessed value and higher traffic densities (highest density quartile, OR = 3.99, 95% CI 1.17-13.62). Because some of these variables have themselves been associated with health outcomes, the possibility of confounding of the wiring code associations must be rigorously evaluated in future EMF research.

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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 directionunclear

PopulationMothers of reproductive age in southern Connecticut (respondents)

Sample size3259

Exposure1988-1991 (assessment period)

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 74% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

In southern Connecticut (1988–1991), very high current configuration wiring-coded homes were associated with manual jobs and with older homes (built before 1949; OR=73.24, 95% CI 29.53–181.65), lower assessed value, and higher traffic density (highest quartile; OR=3.99, 95% CI 1.17–13.62). The authors note these factors could confound associations between wiring code and health outcomes in EMF studies.

Outcomes measured

Correlates/potential confounders of residential wiring code classification (e.g., home age, assessed value, traffic density, occupation)

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "cross_sectional",
  "exposure": {
    "band": null,
    "source": "residential wiring (wiring code/current configuration)",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "1988-1991 (assessment period)"
  },
  "population": "Mothers of reproductive age in southern Connecticut (respondents)",
  "sample_size": 3259,
  "outcomes": [
    "Correlates/potential confounders of residential wiring code classification (e.g., home age, assessed value, traffic density, occupation)"
  ],
  "main_findings": "In southern Connecticut (1988–1991), very high current configuration wiring-coded homes were associated with manual jobs and with older homes (built before 1949; OR=73.24, 95% CI 29.53–181.65), lower assessed value, and higher traffic density (highest quartile; OR=3.99, 95% CI 1.17–13.62). The authors note these factors could confound associations between wiring code and health outcomes in EMF studies.",
  "effect_direction": "unclear",
  "limitations": [],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.74,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "electromagnetic fields",
    "residential exposure",
    "wiring code",
    "current configuration",
    "confounding",
    "socioeconomic factors",
    "traffic density",
    "housing characteristics",
    "epidemiologic methods"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "exposure-assessment",
      "weight": 0.78,
      "reason": "Focuses on residential wiring code as an EMF exposure metric and its correlates/potential confounders."
    }
  ]
}

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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: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a009672
PubMed: 9737559

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