Parental Risk Factors of Childhood Acute Leukemia: A Case-Control Study

Background: Leukemia is the most common cancer in children, accounting for near to half of all childhood cancers. Different risk factors might be effective in the occurrence of this cancer such as parental characteristics. This study was done in West Azarbaijan Province in order to determine the relation between parental characteristics and acute leukemia in children. Methods: This matched case-control study was conducted on children less than 15 years affected by acute leukemia from March 20, 2003 to March 20, 2009. Two control groups were selected, one from hospital and the other from the study population. Cases and controls were matched on age and sex. Logistic regression model was used for data analysis. Results: This study was done on 130 patients, 108 (83.1%) were affected by Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and 22 (16.9%) by Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia. Seventy two of the patients were male (55.4%) and 58 were female (44.6%). There was a statistically significant correlation between acute leukemia and variables such as mother's education [OR=4.2, 95% CI: 2.42, 7.34], mother's history of using Oral Contraceptive Pills [OR=1.77, 95% CI: 1.05, 2.82] and parental relationship [OR=2.05, 95% CI: 1.30, 3.23]. Conclusion: It seems that some parental characteristics have an important role in etiology of childhood leukemia.