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Suggestion of concomitant changes of electric power consumption and childhood leukemia in Greece

From the Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Athens University Medical School, Goudi, 115 27 Athens, Greece (E.P., N.T.), the Hellenic Society for Social Pediatrics and Health Promotion, Oceanidon 15, 117 45, Athens, Greece (Y.S.) the Public Electric Power Organization of Greece, Athens Greece (Y.A.) and the Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston USA (C.H.), Address for offprints: Elini Petridou Dept of Hygiene and Epidemiology Athens University Medical School 75 M. Asias Str Goudi Athens 11527 Greece

C-Chung Hsieh, MSc

From the Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Athens University Medical School, Goudi, 115 27 Athens, Greece (E.P., N.T.), the Hellenic Society for Social Pediatrics and Health Promotion, Oceanidon 15, 117 45, Athens, Greece (Y.S.) the Public Electric Power Organization of Greece, Athens Greece (Y.A.) and the Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston USA (C.H.)

Yannis Skalkidis, MD, MPH

From the Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Athens University Medical School, Goudi, 115 27 Athens, Greece (E.P., N.T.), the Hellenic Society for Social Pediatrics and Health Promotion, Oceanidon 15, 117 45, Athens, Greece (Y.S.) the Public Electric Power Organization of Greece, Athens Greece (Y.A.) and the Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston USA (C.H.)

Nektaria Toupadaki, BA

From the Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Athens University Medical School, Goudi, 115 27 Athens, Greece (E.P., N.T.), the Hellenic Society for Social Pediatrics and Health Promotion, Oceanidon 15, 117 45, Athens, Greece (Y.S.) the Public Electric Power Organization of Greece, Athens Greece (Y.A.) and the Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston USA (C.H.)

Yannis Athanassopoulos, MA

From the Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Athens University Medical School, Goudi, 115 27 Athens, Greece (E.P., N.T.), the Hellenic Society for Social Pediatrics and Health Promotion, Oceanidon 15, 117 45, Athens, Greece (Y.S.) the Public Electric Power Organization of Greece, Athens Greece (Y.A.) and the Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston USA (C.H.)

Over a 14-year period (1976–89) 679 deaths from childhood leukemia were registered in Greece and the corresponding mortality over this period declined by almost 70%, with no evidence of differential reduction by gender or population type. For each of the nine geographical regions of the country, slopes of decreasing mortality from childhood leukemia over the study period were calculated and correlated with the corresponding slopes of increasing electric power consumption over the 16-year period 1970–85 (allowing for a postulated latency of about 5 years). A positive association was noted, which however was not statistically significant (p0.26). Studies of similar nature conducted in larger countries over more extended periods could contribute to the resolution of the controversy surrounding the role of electric power-generated extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields in the etiology of childhood leukemia.

Key Words: Magnetic fields • electric power consumption • childhood leukemia • ecological study

Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, Vol. 21, No. 4, 281-285 (1993)
DOI: 10.1177/140349489302100408


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