Exploring Blue Spaces’ Effects on Childhood Leukaemia Incidence: A Population-Based Case–Control Study in Spain

Carlos Ojeda Sánchez, Javier García-Pérez, Diana Gómez-Barroso, Alejandro Domínguez-Castillo, Elena Pardo Romaguera, Adela Cañete, Juan A. Ortega-García and Rebeca Ramis
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Carlos Ojeda Sánchez: Albacete University Hospital, 02006 Albacete, Spain
Javier García-Pérez: Cancer and Environmental Epidemiology Unit, Department of Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases, National Center for Epidemiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Carlos III Institute of Health), 28029 Madrid, Spain
Diana Gómez-Barroso: Centre for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health (CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública—CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
Alejandro Domínguez-Castillo: Cancer and Environmental Epidemiology Unit, Department of Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases, National Center for Epidemiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Carlos III Institute of Health), 28029 Madrid, Spain
Elena Pardo Romaguera: Spanish Registry of Childhood Tumours (RETI-SEHOP), University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
Adela Cañete: Spanish Registry of Childhood Tumours (RETI-SEHOP), University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
Juan A. Ortega-García: Pediatric Environmental Health Speciality Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Environment and Human Health (EH2) Lab., Institute of Biomedical Research, IMIB-Arrixaca, Clinical University Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca, 30120 Murcia, Spain
Rebeca Ramis: Cancer and Environmental Epidemiology Unit, Department of Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases, National Center for Epidemiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Carlos III Institute of Health), 28029 Madrid, Spain

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 9, 1-12

Abstract: Background: Blue spaces have been a key part of human evolution, providing resources and helping economies develop. To date, no studies have been carried out to explore how they may be linked to paediatric oncological diseases. Objectives: To explore the possible relationship of residential proximity to natural and urban blue spaces on childhood leukaemia. Methods: A population-based case–control study was conducted in four regions of Spain across the period 2000–2018. A total of 936 incident cases and 5616 controls were included, individually matched by sex, year of birth and place of residence. An exposure proxy with four distances (250 m, 500 m, 750 m, and 1 km) to blue spaces was built using the geographical coordinates of the participants’ home residences. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) for blue-space exposure were calculated for overall childhood leukaemia, and the acute lymphoblastic (ALL) and acute myeloblastic leukaemia (AML) subtypes, with adjustment for socio-demographic and environmental covariates. Results: A decrease in overall childhood leukaemia and ALL-subtype incidence was found as we came nearer to children’s places of residence, showing, for the study as a whole, a reduced incidence at 250 m (odds ratio (OR) = 0.77; 95%CI = 0.60–0.97), 500 m (OR = 0.78; 95%CI = 0.65–0.93), 750 m (OR = 0.80; 95%CI = 0.69–0.93), and 1000 m (OR = 0.84; 95%CI = 0.72–0.97). AML model results showed an increasing incidence at closest to subjects’ homes (OR at 250m = 1.06; 95%CI=0.63–1.71). Conclusions: Our results suggest a possible association between lower childhood leukaemia incidence and blue-space proximity. This study is a first approach to blue spaces’ possible effects on childhood leukaemia incidence; consequently, it is necessary to continue studying these spaces—while taking into account more individualised data and other possible environmental risk factors.

Keywords: urban blue spaces; environmental factors; childhood cancer; childhood leukaemia; incidence; spatial epidemiology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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