Table 2

Comparison of parents and adolescents who participated in the field study to non- participants (data from the short questionnaire)

Variable
Participants
Non-participants


Prevalence n (%)
Prevalence n (%)
p-value

Parents of the children
n = 1477
n = 628

     Sex


0.29
          male
359 (24.3)
139 (22.2)

     Level of education



          at least 12 years of education
748 (51.0)
250 (40.4)
<0.0001
     Nationality (mother)


<0.0001
          German
902 (85.6)
347 (72.0)

     Mobile phone ownership


0.02

1365 (92.9)
562 (89.8)

     Use of a mobile phone per day


0.16
          < 5 minutes
1057 (72.4)
475 (76.4)

          > 5 minutes
404 (27.7)
147 (23.7)

     Self-reported concerns about adverse health effects to EMF


<0.0001
          not or little concerned
580 (55.4)
350 (72.5)

          fairly concerned
386 (36.9)
103 (22.0)

          deeply concerned
80 (7.7)
27 (5.6)

     Self-estimated distance to the next base station


<0.0001
          Don't know
39 (2.7)
136 (22.0)

          < 500 meters
945 (56.3)
303 (49.0)

          = 500 meters
464 (32.0)
179 (29.0)

Adolescents
n = 1508
n = 814

     Sex


0.009
          male
730 (48.4)
440 (54.1)

     Level of education



          grammar school
743 (49.9)
253 (31.2)
<0.0001
     Nationality (mother)


<0.0001
          German
946 (85.1)
465 (74.9)

     Mobile phone ownership


0.004

1373 (91.2)
711 (87.4)

     Use of a mobile phone per day


0.25
          < 5 minutes
1153 (77.1)
593 (73.6)

          > 5 minutes
343 (22.9)
213 (26.5)

     Self-reported concerns about adverse health effects to EMF


<0.0001
          not or little concerned
969 (87.7)
572 (92.1)

          fairly concerned
120 (10.9)
38 (6.1)

          deeply concerned
17 (1.5)
11 (1.8)

     Self-estimated distance to the next base station


<0.0001
          don't know
47 (3.2)
139 (17.3)

          < 500 meters
922 (62.6)
390 (48.5)

          = 500 meters
503 (34.2)
274 (34.1)


EMF: electromagnetic fields

Thomas et al. Environmental Health 2008 7:54   doi:10.1186/1476-069X-7-54