Author: Sajjad Farashi1,2, Saeid Bashirian3,4, Salman Khazaei3,5, Mojtaba Khazaei6, Abdollah Farhadinasab7
Affiliation: <sup>1</sup> Autism Spectrum Disorders Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran. Sajjad_farashi@yahoo.com.
<sup>2</sup> Neurophysiology Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran. Sajjad_farashi@yahoo.com.
<sup>3</sup> Health Sciences and Technology Research Institute, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
<sup>4</sup> Department of Public Health, School of Health, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
<sup>5</sup> Department of Epidemiology, School of Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
<sup>6</sup> Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
<sup>7</sup> Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Conference/Journal: Int Arch Occup Environ Health
Date published: 2022 Jan 22
Other:
Special Notes: doi: 10.1007/s00420-022-01835-x. , Word Count: 287
Purpose:
The effects of electromagnetic fields of mobile phones on headaches have attracted researchers during the last decades. However, contradictory results have been reported so far.
Methods:
In this systematic review and meta-analysis, major databases including PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were searched using suitable search terms and PRISMA guidelines to retrieve eligible studies for the effect of mobile phone use on headache. After the abstract and full-text screening, 33 studies were retrieved and the effect size in terms of odds ratio (OR) was extracted. Between-study heterogeneity was assessed using I2 statistic and Q test, while publication bias was evaluated by funnel plot and Egger's and Begg's tests.
Results:
Among 33 eligible studies, 30 eligible studies were included in the meta-analysis. When considering all studies, the pooled effect size of OR = 1.30(95% CI 1.21-1.39) was obtained, while the heterogeneity between studies was significant. Subgroup analyses by considering the age of participants and EMF exposure duration were performed to find the source of heterogeneity. The odds ratios when the age of participants was the variable were 1.33 (95% CI 1.14-1.53) and 1.29 (95% CI 1.20-1.37), for ages > 18 and age ≤ 18 years, respectively. When EMF exposure duration was considered, subgroup analysis obtained the pooled effect size of OR = 1.41(95% CI 1.22-1.61) and 1.23(95% CI 1.12-1.34), for EMF exposure duration > 100 and ≤ 100 minutes per week, respectively. The pooled effect sizes emphasized the effect of mobile phone use on headaches for all ages and exposure durations.
Conclusion:
Results revealed that age and exposure duration (mainly call duration), both were the source of heterogeneity between studies. Furthermore, results showed that increasing call duration and mobile phone use in older individuals increased the risk of headache.
Keywords: Electromagnetic fields; Headache; Meta-analysis; Migraine; Mobile phones; Systematic review.
PMID: 35064837 DOI: 10.1007/s00420-022-01835-x