Table 2.
A summary of the reviewed studies on the maternal & physiological outcomes associated with EMF radiation exposure.
| Authors and Year | Country | Design and Sample size (N) | Results | Study limitations | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength/Quality | |||||
| Elsayed and Jastaniah (2016) | Saudi Arabia | A prospective descriptive correlation N = 110 female and 70 male Adults |
Participants who were using smartphones and who had normal thyroid outnumbered those who were not using smartphones and who had thyroid diseases (79.5%: 20.5% respectively) | Convenience sampling method | III/B |
| Ekici et al. (2016) | Turkey | A cross-sectional correlation design N = 148 healthy adults (85 women and 63 men) |
Mobile phone use for > 1hr/day is linked to > HRVa and the increase in sympathetic activity (p < 0.001). | Small sample size | III/A |
| Rubik (2017) | US | A randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled clinical trial (RCT) N = 20 healthy, nonsmoking adults (16 females) |
The HRVa dropped following the software applications (p = 0.0013), suggesting a mild relaxation response (P < 0.05. | Small sample size | I/B |
| Baby et al. (2017) | South India | A cross-sectional correlation design N = 83 undergraduate students (41 males & 42 females) |
A significant correlation between total mobile phone radiation exposure and an increase in TSH was found (P < 0.05). | Self-report measures | III/A |
| Heo et al. (2017) | Korea | RCT (double-blind, cross-over, placebo) N = 22 adult males |
Users of blue light smartphones experienced an increase in body temperature, serum melatonin levels, and cortisol levels (P > 0.05) Body temperatures >0.1 °C & <0.08 °C after using smartphones w/wo blue light. |
Included males only | I/B |
| Bauer et al. (2018) | Poland | A cross-sectional correlation design N = 20 healthy adults (9 females and 11 males) |
The mean superficial temperature of the auricle region after 5 min of phone calling in case of normal mode was higher (0.83 ± 0.04 °C), whereas for flight mode it was lower (0.55 ± 0.04 °C). For women, the mean temperature increase after 5 min of phone calling in normal mode was 0.78 ± 0.06 °C, whereas in flight mode it was 0.49 ± 0.05 °C. |
Small sample size | III/C |
| Auvinen et al. (2019) | Sweden and Finland | A prospective cohort study N = 21049 in Sweden & N = 3120 in Finland. |
The participants with the highest decile of recorded call-time (average call-time>276 min per week) at baseline showed a weak, suggestive increased frequency of weekly headaches at 4-year follow-up (Odd Ratio 1.13, 95% CI 0.95–1.34). | -Self-report measure -Non-representative sample |
III/A |
| Alattar et al. (2018) | Palestine | Experimental study N = 203 females, undergraduate students (167 healthy and 36 deaf) |
The majority of the participants who used mobile phones for >5 years complained of headache (16.3%), eye pain (35.49%), and ear pain (12.9%). -Salivary levels of Na+ and K+ were lower in mobile phone users when compared to non-users of mobile phones (P < 0.05). |
-Self-report measure -Non-representative sample |
I/C |
| Qasim et al. (2017) | Jordan | A descriptive cross-sectional correlational N = 228 females and 129 males' adults |
Most smartphone users who participated in the survey confirmed that they suffered from headaches (65.5%), eye irritation (66.7%), or ear problems (72.5%). |
-Self-report measure -Non-representative sample |
III/C |
a
HRV = Heart Rate Variability.