title: A multinational case-control study on childhood brain tumours, anthropogenic factors, birth characteristics and prenatal exposures: A validation of interview data.
abstract: Little is known about the aetiology of childhood brain tumours. We investigated anthropometric factors (birth weight, length, maternal age), birth characteristics (e.g. vacuum extraction, preterm delivery, birth order) and exposures during pregnancy (e.g. maternal: smoking, working, dietary supplement intake) in relation to risk of brain tumour diagnosis among 7-19 year olds. The multinational case-control study in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland (CEFALO) included interviews with 352 (participation rate=83.2%) eligible cases and 646 (71.1%) population-based controls. Interview data were complemented with data from birth registries and validated by assessing agreement (Cohen's Kappa). We used conditional logistic regression models matched on age, sex and geographical region (adjusted for maternal age and parental education) to explore associations between birth factors and childhood brain tumour risk. Agreement between interview and birth registry data ranged from moderate (Kappa=0.54; worked during pregnancy) to almost perfect (Kappa=0.98; birth weight). Neither anthropogenic factors nor birth characteristics were associated with childhood brain tumour risk. Maternal vitamin intake during pregnancy was indicative of a protective effect (OR 0.75, 95%-CI: 0.56-1.01). No association was seen for maternal smoking during pregnancy or working during pregnancy. We found little evidence that the considered birth factors were related to brain tumour risk among children and adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Switzerland. Electronic address: danielle.vienneau@unibas.ch.
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vienneau
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Infanger
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Medicine, Unit of Epidemiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Feychting
authors.affiliation: Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, Denmark; International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Section of Environment and Radiation, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schüz
authors.affiliation: Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, Denmark; University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Lisbeth Samsø
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Aslak Harbo
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Poulsen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Medicine, Unit of Epidemiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tettamanti
authors.affiliation: The Cancer Registry of Norway, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, Østerås, Norway.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Klæboe
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Claudia E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Kuehni
authors.affiliation: The Cancer Registry of Norway, Oslo, Norway; National Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Tore
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tynes
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Basel Children's Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Von der Weid
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Gothenburg, The Queen Silvia Children's Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Birgitta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lannering
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Switzerland. Electronic address: martin.roosli@unibas.ch.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Röösli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001722:Birth Order; D001724:Birth Weight; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D009664:Norway; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000453:epidemiology; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012907:Smoking; D013548:Sweden; D013557:Switzerland; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adolescents; Brain tumours; Children; Pregnancy; Validation