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. 2016 Sep;37(6):353-72.
doi: 10.1002/bem.21987. Epub 2016 Jun 21.

Development and evaluation of an electromagnetic hypersensitivity questionnaire for Japanese people

Sachiko Hojo  1   2   3 , Mikiko Tokiya  4 , Masami Mizuki  5 , Mikio Miyata  6 , Kumiko T Kanatani  7 , Airi Takagi  8 , Naomi Tsurikisawa  2 , Setsuko Kame  9 , Takahiko Katoh  10 , Takuya Tsujiuchi  1   11 , Hiroaki Kumano  1   11
Affiliations

Development and evaluation of an electromagnetic hypersensitivity questionnaire for Japanese people

Sachiko Hojo et al. Bioelectromagnetics. 2016 Sep.

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of a Japanese version of an electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) questionnaire, originally developed by Eltiti et al. in the United Kingdom. Using this Japanese EHS questionnaire, surveys were conducted on 1306 controls and 127 self-selected EHS subjects in Japan. Principal component analysis of controls revealed eight principal symptom groups, namely, nervous, skin-related, head-related, auditory and vestibular, musculoskeletal, allergy-related, sensory, and heart/chest-related. The reliability of the Japanese EHS questionnaire was confirmed by high to moderate intraclass correlation coefficients in a test-retest analysis, and high Cronbach's α coefficients (0.853-0.953) from each subscale. A comparison of scores of each subscale between self-selected EHS subjects and age- and sex-matched controls using bivariate logistic regression analysis, Mann-Whitney U- and χ(2) tests, verified the validity of the questionnaire. This study demonstrated that the Japanese EHS questionnaire is reliable and valid, and can be used for surveillance of EHS individuals in Japan. Furthermore, based on multiple logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic analyses, we propose specific preliminary criteria for screening EHS individuals in Japan. Bioelectromagnetics. 37:353-372, 2016. © 2016 The Authors. Bioelectromagnetics Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Keywords: EHS screening tool; allergy symptoms; electromagnetic fields; idiopathic environmental intolerance; multiple chemical sensitivities.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comparison of total symptom scores between controls and self‐selected EHS subjects. 1a. Histogram showing total symptom scores. EHS: electromagnetic hypersensitivity. 1b. Box‐and‐whisker plots showing total symptom scores. Plots inside ellipse represent outliers that are not within normal range. Note: differences in median scores of total symptoms between self‐selected EHS subjects (n = 127) and controls (n = 127) were compared using a Mann–Whitney U‐test with Bonferroni correction for multiple tests (100 tests; P < 0.0005); ***P ≤ 0.00001. For 1a and 1b: The a25th percentile (16 points), b50th percentile (29 points), and c75th percentile value of controls (47 points). 1c. Radar chart showing median values of symptoms for eight principal components (factors 1–8). Differences in median values of symptoms for all eight principal components between self‐selected EHS subjects (n = 127) and controls (n = 127) were analyzed using a Mann–Whitney U‐test as above. There were significant differences (P ≤ 0.00001) in median values of symptoms for all eight principal components.
Figure 2
Figure 2
EMF sources. 2a. Electromagnetic field objects that Japanese self‐selected EHS subjects (n = 165) believed as cause of symptoms (multiple answers). 2b. Details of electrical appliances from Fig. 2a. Outdoor unitsa included air conditioner compressors and heat pump‐type water heater systems, among others (multiple answers).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Speculated sequence of onset of SHS, MCS, and EHS by Japanese self‐selected EHS subjects. SHS: sick house syndrome; MCS: multiple chemical sensitivity; EHS: electromagnetic hypersensitivity. aBoth MCS and EHS were associated; however, it is unknown which occurred first.
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