Chicken or egg? Attribution hypothesis and nocebo hypothesis to explain somatization associated to perceived RF-EMF exposure
IntroductionThe aim of this study is to understand the temporal relationship between the somatization usually attributed to RF-EMFs, and to evaluate the attribution hypothesis and the nocebo hypothesis in this context.MethodIn this longitudinal study, data from the Dutch Occupational and Environment...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1561373/full |
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| author | S. Ariccio E. Traini L. Portengen A. Martens P. Slottje R. Vermeulen A. Huss |
| author_facet | S. Ariccio E. Traini L. Portengen A. Martens P. Slottje R. Vermeulen A. Huss |
| author_sort | S. Ariccio |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThe aim of this study is to understand the temporal relationship between the somatization usually attributed to RF-EMFs, and to evaluate the attribution hypothesis and the nocebo hypothesis in this context.MethodIn this longitudinal study, data from the Dutch Occupational and Environmental Health Cohort Study (AMIGO) was analyzed, consisting of a baseline questionnaire collected in 2011 (14,829 participants) and a follow-up questionnaire collected in 2015 (7,904 participants). Participants completed a questionnaire providing information on their health status, perceived environmental exposures, and demographics. Two sets of multiple regressions were conducted to evaluate the two hypotheses.ResultsResults show that the attribution hypothesis overall explained symptom reporting in association to perceived RF-EMF base station exposure and perceived electricity exposure more frequently than the nocebo hypothesis.DiscussionThis finding stands out from most of the existing literature, which primarily points to the nocebo effect as the main explanation for somatization in response to RF-EMF exposure. While this does not exclude, in absolute terms, the existence of a nocebo effect, potentially at other time scales, this finding has relevant consequences at the policy making level. The emerging relevance of the attribution hypothesis moves the focus on the discomfort of people with unexplained symptoms and their need to find a plausible explanation for their discomfort. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-98c823344cf84ae99b6dc85304218183 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-98c823344cf84ae99b6dc853042181832025-08-20T03:06:13ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-04-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.15613731561373Chicken or egg? Attribution hypothesis and nocebo hypothesis to explain somatization associated to perceived RF-EMF exposureS. Ariccio0E. Traini1L. Portengen2A. Martens3P. Slottje4R. Vermeulen5A. Huss6Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, NetherlandsInstitute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, NetherlandsInstitute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, NetherlandsPBL Environmental Assessment Agency, The Hague, NetherlandsInstitute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, NetherlandsInstitute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, NetherlandsInstitute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, NetherlandsIntroductionThe aim of this study is to understand the temporal relationship between the somatization usually attributed to RF-EMFs, and to evaluate the attribution hypothesis and the nocebo hypothesis in this context.MethodIn this longitudinal study, data from the Dutch Occupational and Environmental Health Cohort Study (AMIGO) was analyzed, consisting of a baseline questionnaire collected in 2011 (14,829 participants) and a follow-up questionnaire collected in 2015 (7,904 participants). Participants completed a questionnaire providing information on their health status, perceived environmental exposures, and demographics. Two sets of multiple regressions were conducted to evaluate the two hypotheses.ResultsResults show that the attribution hypothesis overall explained symptom reporting in association to perceived RF-EMF base station exposure and perceived electricity exposure more frequently than the nocebo hypothesis.DiscussionThis finding stands out from most of the existing literature, which primarily points to the nocebo effect as the main explanation for somatization in response to RF-EMF exposure. While this does not exclude, in absolute terms, the existence of a nocebo effect, potentially at other time scales, this finding has relevant consequences at the policy making level. The emerging relevance of the attribution hypothesis moves the focus on the discomfort of people with unexplained symptoms and their need to find a plausible explanation for their discomfort.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1561373/fullRF-EMF exposureEMFsomatizationdiagnosisnoceboattribution |
| spellingShingle | S. Ariccio E. Traini L. Portengen A. Martens P. Slottje R. Vermeulen A. Huss Chicken or egg? Attribution hypothesis and nocebo hypothesis to explain somatization associated to perceived RF-EMF exposure Frontiers in Public Health RF-EMF exposure EMF somatization diagnosis nocebo attribution |
| title | Chicken or egg? Attribution hypothesis and nocebo hypothesis to explain somatization associated to perceived RF-EMF exposure |
| title_full | Chicken or egg? Attribution hypothesis and nocebo hypothesis to explain somatization associated to perceived RF-EMF exposure |
| title_fullStr | Chicken or egg? Attribution hypothesis and nocebo hypothesis to explain somatization associated to perceived RF-EMF exposure |
| title_full_unstemmed | Chicken or egg? Attribution hypothesis and nocebo hypothesis to explain somatization associated to perceived RF-EMF exposure |
| title_short | Chicken or egg? Attribution hypothesis and nocebo hypothesis to explain somatization associated to perceived RF-EMF exposure |
| title_sort | chicken or egg attribution hypothesis and nocebo hypothesis to explain somatization associated to perceived rf emf exposure |
| topic | RF-EMF exposure EMF somatization diagnosis nocebo attribution |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1561373/full |
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