Skip Navigation

The European Journal of Public Health 1992 2(1):29-33; doi:10.1093/eurpub/2.1.29
© 1992 by European Journal of Public Health
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Petridou, E.
Right arrow Articles by Trichopoulos, D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Petridou, E.
Right arrow Articles by Trichopoulos, D.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Original Articles

Evolution and Distribution of Childhood Leukemia Mortality in Greece: Etiological Implications

E. Petridou, MD1, C-C Hsieh2, G. Kotsifakis3, Y. Skalkidis4, V. Flytzani4 and D. Trichopoulos2

1Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Athens University, Medical School 15 Oceanidon Str., Athens 11745 Greece
2Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health 15 Oceanidon Str., Athens 11745 Greece
3National Statistical Service of Greece 15 Oceanidon Str., Athens 11745 Greece
4Hellenic Society for Social Pediatrics and Health Promotion 15 Oceanidon Str., Athens 11745 Greece

The purpose of this study was to examine regional and temporal trends of childhood (0–14 years) mortality from leukemia in Greece and to explore whether there was any evidence of excess mortality or place clustering of childhood leukemia deaths in the Greek island populations. Over a 14-year period (1976–1989) for which adequate information by place of residence was available, 679 deaths from childhood leukemia were registered in Greece. After standardization and application of multiple regression procedures, it was found that mortality from childhood leukemia in Greece declined over the study period by about 70%, with no evidence of differential reduction by gender, age, or population type (urban, non-urban). In the two of the nine geographical regions of Greece that comprise exclusively island populations of small to modest size, mortality rates were not significantly higher and slopes of decline over time were substantially steeper. These findings provide no support to Kinlen's hypothesis that population groups who were relatively isolated in the past, but have recently received a large influx of newcomers (due, in this instance, to tourism) may experience an increase in the incidence of childhood leukemia, because of changes in herd immunity. Furthermore, there was no evidence of heterogeneity of mortality from childhood leukemia among 13 island counties (nomoi) even though heterogeneity might have been expected on account of the different time patterns of tourist development in the respective island counties.

Keywords: childhood leukemia, herd immunity, place clustering


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.