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Residential mobility and childhood leukemia

2018 · Harm · Low evidence

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HarmLow evidencePaper 2143

In this population-based case-control analysis, residential mobility between birth and diagnosis varied by sociodemographic factors but not by distance to the nearest power line or calculated magnetic fields. Among non-movers, odds ratios for leukemia were el…

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2018
Study typecase_control
Reported directionHarm
Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Residential mobility and childhood leukemia Amoon AT, Oksuzyan S, Crespi CM, Arah OA, Cockburn M, Vergara X, Kheifets L. Residential mobility and childhood leukemia. Environ Res. 2018 Mar 22;164:459-466. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2018.03.016. Highlights • Children who moved were older, had younger mothers, and lower SES. • Non-movers showed stronger associations with EMF exposures and childhood leukemia. • Adjustment for variables predicting mobility, save dwelling, did not alter results. • Mobility does not appear to explain observed links between EMF and leukemia. Abstract AIMS: Studies of environmental exposures and childhood leukemia studies do not usually account for residential mobility. Yet, in addition to being a potential risk factor, mobility can induce selection bias, confounding, or measurement error in such studies. Using data collected for California Powerline Study (CAPS), we attempt to disentangle the effect of mobility. METHODS: We analyzed data from a population-based case-control study of childhood leukemia using cases who were born in California and diagnosed between 1988 and 2008 and birth certificate controls. We used stratified logistic regression, case-only analysis, and propensity-score adjustments to assess predictors of residential mobility between birth and diagnosis, and account for potential confounding due to residential mobility. RESULTS: Children who moved tended to be older, lived in housing other than single-family homes, had younger mothers and fewer siblings, and were of lower socioeconomic status. Odds ratios for leukemia among non- movers living <50 meters (m) from a 200+ kilovolt line (OR: 1.62; 95% CI: 0.72-3.65) and for calculated fields ≥ 0.4 microTesla (OR: 1.71; 95% CI: 0.65-4.52) were slightly higher than previously reported overall results. Adjustments for propensity scores based on all variables predictive of mobility, including dwelling type, increased odds ratios for leukemia to 2.61 (95% CI: 1.76-3.86) for living < 50 m from a 200 + kilovolt line and to 1.98 (1.11-3.52) for calculated fields. Individual or propensity-score adjustments for all variables, except dwelling type, did not materially change the estimates of power line exposures on childhood leukemia. CONCLUSION: The residential mobility of childhood leukemia cases varied by several sociodemographic characteristics, but not by the distance to the nearest power line or calculated magnetic fields. Mobility appears to be an unlikely explanation for the associations observed between power lines exposure and childhood leukemia. Funding: This work was supported by the Electric Power Research Institute. Crespi was also partially supported by the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health (grant P30 CA16042). Vergara is an employee of the Electric Power Research Institute. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Machine Enhanced Logic

AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typecase_control
Effect directionharm
PopulationChildren born in California; childhood leukemia cases diagnosed 1988–2008 and birth-certificate controls (California Powerline Study, CAPS)
Sample sizeNot supplied
ExposureELF · between birth and diagnosis (residential mobility assessed over this period)
Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

In this population-based case-control analysis, residential mobility between birth and diagnosis varied by sociodemographic factors but not by distance to the nearest power line or calculated magnetic fields. Among non-movers, odds ratios for leukemia were elevated for living <50 m from a 200+ kV line (OR 1.62; 95% CI 0.72–3.65) and for calculated fields ≥0.4 µT (OR 1.71; 95% CI 0.65–4.52). Propensity-score adjustment including variables predictive of mobility (including dwelling type) increased the reported odds ratios for <50 m from a 200+ kV line (OR 2.61; 95% CI 1.76–3.86) and for calculated fields (OR 1.98; 95% CI 1.11–3.52); adjustments excluding dwelling type did not materially change estimates.

Outcomes measured

  • childhood leukemia

Limitations

  • Sample size not reported in provided abstract/metadata
  • Observational case-control design (susceptible to confounding/selection bias)
  • Exposure metrics limited to distance to high-voltage lines and calculated magnetic fields; measurement error not fully described
View raw extracted JSON
{
  "study_type": "case_control",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "ELF",
    "source": "power lines (high-voltage)",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "between birth and diagnosis (residential mobility assessed over this period)"
  },
  "population": "Children born in California; childhood leukemia cases diagnosed 1988–2008 and birth-certificate controls (California Powerline Study, CAPS)",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "childhood leukemia"
  ],
  "main_findings": "In this population-based case-control analysis, residential mobility between birth and diagnosis varied by sociodemographic factors but not by distance to the nearest power line or calculated magnetic fields. Among non-movers, odds ratios for leukemia were elevated for living <50 m from a 200+ kV line (OR 1.62; 95% CI 0.72–3.65) and for calculated fields ≥0.4 µT (OR 1.71; 95% CI 0.65–4.52). Propensity-score adjustment including variables predictive of mobility (including dwelling type) increased the reported odds ratios for <50 m from a 200+ kV line (OR 2.61; 95% CI 1.76–3.86) and for calculated fields (OR 1.98; 95% CI 1.11–3.52); adjustments excluding dwelling type did not materially change estimates.",
  "effect_direction": "harm",
  "limitations": [
    "Sample size not reported in provided abstract/metadata",
    "Observational case-control design (susceptible to confounding/selection bias)",
    "Exposure metrics limited to distance to high-voltage lines and calculated magnetic fields; measurement error not fully described"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "childhood leukemia",
    "residential mobility",
    "power lines",
    "high-voltage lines",
    "distance to power line",
    "magnetic fields",
    "calculated fields",
    "0.4 microTesla",
    "case-control",
    "California Powerline Study",
    "propensity score"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "occupational-exposure",
      "weight": 0,
      "reason": null
    }
  ]
}
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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2018.03.016
PubMed: Not supplied

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