Epidemiological study (observational study)

Age of exposure to infections and risk of childhood leukaemia epidem.

By: Petridou E, Kassimos D, Kalmanti M, Kosmidis H, Haidas S, Flytzani V, Tong D, Trichopoulos D

Published in: BMJ 1993; 307 (6907): 774

Aim of study (acc. to author)

A case-control study was conducted in Greece to determine potential risk factors for childhood leukemia. The main focus of the study was on the risk factor infections, however exposure to magnetic fields as a possible risk factor was also investigated.

Further details

Exposure groups

Group	Description
Reference group 1	distance from power lines: ≥ 50 m
Group 2	distance from power lines: 5 - 49 m
Group 3	distance from power lines: < 5 m
Reference group 4	distance from electricity substation: ≥ 100 m
Group 5	distance from electricity substation: < 100 m

Population

Group:
- children
Age: 0–14 years
Observation period: July 1987 - June 1991
Study location: Greece (Athens and its surrounding region, Crete)

Case group

Characteristics: childhood leukemia
Data source: children's hospitals, University of Athens and University of Crete, Greece

Control group

Selection:
- hospital-based
Matching:
- sex
- age

Study size

	Cases	Controls
Eligible	183	-
Participants	136	187

Statistical analysis method:

multiple linear regression analysis

Results (acc. to author)

The results for the two exposure sources of magnetic fields suggested opposite conclusions. Children living in a distance of less than 100 m from an electrical substation had a non-significant decreased risk of childhood leukemia (RR 0.35, CI 0.12-1.08) whereas children living in a distance of less than 5 m from power lines showed a slight, but non-significant increase in the relative risk of childhood leukemia (RR 1.19, CI 0.59-2.41).

Study funded by

Ministry of Health, Greece
University of Harvard, USA

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