General practitioners' knowledge and concern about electromagnetic fields.

Publisher: MDPI Country of Publication: Switzerland NLM ID: 101238455 Publication Model: Electronic-Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1660-4601 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 16604601 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Int J Environ Res Public Health Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: Basel : MDPI, c2004-

Attitude of Health Personnel* ; Electromagnetic Fields*; General Practitioners/*psychology; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Germany ; Health Communication ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

Our aim is to explore general practitioners' (GPs') knowledge about EMF, and to assess whether different knowledge structures are related to the GPs' concern about EMF. Random samples were drawn from lists of GPs in Germany in 2008. Knowledge about EMF was assessed by seven items. A latent class analysis was conducted to identify latent structures in GPs' knowledge. Further, the GPs' concern about EMF health risk was measured using a score comprising six items. The association between GPs' concern about EMF and their knowledge was analysed using multiple linear regression. In total 435 (response rate 23.3%) GPs participated in the study. Four groups were identified by the latent class analysis: 43.1% of the GPs gave mainly correct answers; 23.7% of the GPs answered low frequency EMF questions correctly; 19.2% answered only the questions relating EMF with health risks, and 14.0% answered mostly "don't know". There was no association between GPs' latent knowledge classes or between the number of correct answers given by the GPs and their EMF concern, whereas the number of incorrect answers was associated with EMF concern. Greater EMF concern in subjects with more incorrect answers suggests paying particular attention to misconceptions regarding EMF in risk communication.

Risk Anal. 2011 Feb;31(2):301-11. (PMID: 20880217)
Bioelectromagnetics. 2011 May;32(4):253-72. (PMID: 21452356)
Psychol Bull. 2001 Mar;127(2):267-86. (PMID: 11316014)
Wien Med Wochenschr. 2005 May;155(9-10):237-41. (PMID: 15999632)
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2013 May 29;10(6):2164-84. (PMID: 23759952)
BMJ. 2002 May 18;324(7347):1183. (PMID: 12016181)
Science. 1987 Apr 17;236(4799):280-5. (PMID: 3563507)
Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2010 Nov;107(46):817-23. (PMID: 21151417)
J Cancer Educ. 2009;24(3):225-32. (PMID: 19526412)
Risk Anal. 1991 Dec;11(4):607-18. (PMID: 1780501)
Environ Int. 2010 Oct;36(7):714-20. (PMID: 20538340)
Risk Anal. 2008 Apr;28(2):387-98. (PMID: 18419656)
Environ Res. 2008 Jun;107(2):277-87. (PMID: 18359015)
Risk Anal. 1994 Feb;14(1):5-14. (PMID: 8146403)
Int J Public Health. 2010 Oct;55(5):507-12. (PMID: 20020175)
Lancet Oncol. 2011 Jul;12(7):624-6. (PMID: 21845765)
Struct Equ Modeling. 2007;14(4):671-694. (PMID: 19953201)
Stroke. 2009 Apr;40(4):1181-6. (PMID: 19211481)
Toxicol Lett. 2001 Mar 31;120(1-3):323-31. (PMID: 11323191)
Gesundheitswesen. 2014 Nov;76(11):715-21. (PMID: 24566840)
Postgrad Med J. 2011 Sep;87(1031):643-51. (PMID: 21862503)
Occup Environ Med. 2009 Feb;66(2):124-30. (PMID: 19151228)
Environ Health Perspect. 2002 Aug;110 Suppl 4:613-8. (PMID: 12194895)
J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr. 1999;(25):7-13. (PMID: 10854449)
Bioelectromagnetics. 2010 Jan;31(1):1-11. (PMID: 19681059)
Annu Rev Psychol. 2001;52:1-26. (PMID: 11148297)
Appetite. 2003 Oct;41(2):111-21. (PMID: 14550309)
J Psychosom Res. 2014 May;76(5):405-13. (PMID: 24745783)
Risk Anal. 2000 Oct;20(5):713-9. (PMID: 11110217)
J Prim Care Community Health. 2015 Jan;6(1):21-8. (PMID: 25142575)
Prev Med. 2007 Jun;44(6):520-5. (PMID: 17336373)
Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2008 Jul;211(3-4):412-9. (PMID: 17981501)
BMC Public Health. 2006 Oct 30;6:267. (PMID: 17074080)

Date Created: 20141217 Date Completed: 20150827 Latest Revision: 20240510

20240510

PMC4276656

10.3390/ijerph111212969

25514150