Prevalence of self-reported sensitivities to various environmental factors in Germany, Sweden, and Finland based on multiple classification criteria

AI: Melanie Research RF Safe Research Library Jan 1, 2025 NEUTRAL MEDIUM

This cross-sectional survey study reports the prevalence of self-reported sensitivities to multiple environmental factors, including EMFs, in Germany, Sweden, and Finland. Mild EMF-related reactions were reported by about 10% in Germany and about 5% in Nordic samples, while strong reactions were reported by a smaller proportion. The authors highlight that prevalence estimates depend on how sensitivity is classified and recommend ordinal scales to better capture severity and improve comparability across studies.

Key points

Population-based surveys were conducted in Germany (n=2,515), Sweden (n=3,253), and Finland (n=1,467).
Participants rated sensitivities to sounds, chemicals, buildings, EMFs, and wind turbines on ordinal scales.
In Germany, about 10% reported mild reactions to EMFs and wind turbines, and about 25% reported mild reactions to sounds, chemicals, and buildings.
In Nordic samples, more than 34% reported mild reactions to chemicals and sounds, while about 5% reported mild reactions to EMFs.
Strong reactions were uncommon, reported by roughly 1–2% for all factors in Germany and 1–8% in Nordic samples.
Germany showed higher self-reported EMF sensitivity prevalence but lower chemical and sound sensitivity prevalence compared with Nordic countries.
The study emphasizes that stricter versus looser classification criteria can substantially change prevalence estimates.
The authors recommend ordinal (severity) scales rather than binary assessments for better comparability and capturing the range of sensitivities.

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