Tuesday, June 16, 2015

BioEM2015: Inadequate design of studies causes waste of time, money and researcher potential


BioEM2015: Inadequate design of studies causes waste of time, money and researcher potential

Out of many presentations, here are few words about a study on EHS. This study is a good example of what is wrong with the EHS research.
Scientists examined whether exposure to wifi radiation affects how people feel mentally and physically.
Wifi exposures were measured by using meters carried by study subjects.
Changes in physical and mental wellbeing of study subjects was recorded in diaries, carried by the study subjects and filled out at certain time intervals.
The final conclusion of the study was that there is no correlation or, if it was “seen” (=imagined), it was very weak.
However, there is a major problem with the design of this study. Mood or wellbeing of study subject can, and certainly is, affected by situations they find themselves in during the day. This was not corrected for in the study. It was as if the “only” reason for headache is wifi exposure…
Not correcting for other parameters affecting wellbeing makes the final data misleading and useless.
Lots of time, money and researcher effort was put in yet another study with useless conclusions…
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Here is the abstract of this “inadequately” designed EHS study, copied from the abstract book of BioEM2015.
Association of EMF exposure with non-specific physical symptoms within individuals
  • John Bolte1, Sander Clahsen1, Wendy Vercruisse1, Irene Van Kamp1, Anne van Gils2, Judith Rosmalen2 & Rik Bogers1
  • 1Centre for Sustainability, Environment and Health, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands, 3720BA; 2Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion regulation, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands, 9700RB
This study explores relationships between exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields and non-specific physical symptoms within individuals over time, as studying exposure response relations in groups of persons may average out associations existing on an individual level. The focus is on specific EMF frequency bands and symptoms that the participants indicated to be relevant for their particular situation. Participants registered non-specific physical symptoms and perceived RF-EMF exposure using an electronic diary daily at three set times for a period of three weeks. During the same period personal exposure was monitored using exposimeters. Statistical analyses are currently ongoing and will be finished in April 2015.
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