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. 2006 Feb 14;94(5):763–770. doi: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6602980

Table 1. Potthoff–Whittinghill test for the existence of a spatial heterogeneity in the incidence of childhood acute leukaemia in France 1990–2000. (a) Spatial heterogeneity over the whole territory (36 343 communes) and (b) Spatial heterogeneity in isolated communes in relation to population density.

    Whole period 1990–2000
1990–1994
1995–2000
  Age (years) No. cases β̂a (P-valueb) No. cases β̂ (P-value) No. cases β̂ (P-value)
(a) Spatial heterogeneity over the whole territory (36 343 communes)
All AL 0–14 4897 0.5% (0.23) 2236 1.2% (0.06) 2261 0.2% (0.38)
  0–4 2471 0.1% (0.40) 1141 0% (0.40) 1330 −0.25% (0.60)
  5–9 1435 −0.5% (0.75) 666 −0.25% (0.62) 769 −0.2% (0.49)
  10–14 991 −0.4% (0.69) 429 −0.2% (0.45) 562 −0.2% (0.56)
               
ALL 0–14 3993 0.35% (0.32) 1831 1.2% (0.07) 2162 −0.1% (0.52)
  0–4 2045 0.05% (0.40) 851 0.3% (0.28) 1094 −0.2% (0.54)
  5–9 1208 −0.5% (0.73) 559 −0.4% (0.77) 649 0.03% (0.34)
  10–14 740 −0.4% (0.67) 321 −0.6% (0.95) 419 −0.3% (0.62)
               
AML 0–14 837 −0.5% (0.74) 374 0.3% (0.18) 463 −0.4% (0.70)
  0–4 395 0.01% (0.32) 179 0.6% (0.07) 216 −0.2% (0.48)
  5–9 205 −0.3% (0.63) 94 −0.1% (0.47) 111 −0.2% (0.74)
  10–14 237 −0.2% (0.47) 101 0.1% (0.13) 136 −0.15% (0.45)
               
    1990–2000
1990–1994
1995–2000
    No. cases β̂a (P-valueb) No. cases β̂ (P-value) No. cases β̂ (P-value)
(b) Spatial heterogeneity in isolated communes in relation to population density
               
  014            
   Isolated communes 1469 0.1% (0.29) 700 1.6% (0.04) 769 −0.2% (0.41)
    ⩽50 inhab/km2 554 0.0% (0.28) 239 0.1% (0.27) 315 0.5% (0.14)
    >50 inhab/km2 915 0.5% (0.39) 461 5.5% (0.01) 454 −2.3% (0.92)
               
  0–4            
   Isolated communes 733 0.2 (0.34) 355 0.3% (0.29) 378 −0.3% (0.53)
    ⩽50 inhab/km2 292 0.1% (0.34) 125 −0.5% (0.50) 167 −0.1% (0.34)
    >50 inhab/km2 441 0.5% (0.35) 230 2.5% (0.10) 211 −0.9% (0.64)
               
  5–9            
   Isolated communes 423 −0.8% (0.86) 196 −4.3% (0.66) 227 −0.5% (0.63)
    ⩽50 inhab/km2 151 −0.7% (0.64) 64 −0.3% (0.17) 87 −0.4% (0.28)
    >50 inhab/km2 272 −1.3% (0.77) 132 −0.8% (0.64) 140 −0.6% (0.57)
               
  10–4            
   Isolated communes 313 −0.2% (0.55) 149 0.0% (0.34) 164 −0.3% (0.48)
    ⩽50 inhab/km2 111 −0.3% (0.43) 50 −0.2% (0.11) 61 −0.3% (0.15)
    >50 inhab/km2 202 −0.1% (0.49) 99 0.5% (0.32) 103 −0.2% (0.40)

Isolated communes: non attractive communes, in terms of employment, that are included in a unit with less than 5000 inhabitants (Rudant et al, 2005).

a

Following (Alexander and Boyle, 1996), the ratio of the variance to the mean of the number of cases in any area was equal to 1+β.

b

The Statistical significance level was based on the one-sided tail probability of the null distribution (1000 Monte Carlo simulations).

cThe Statistical significance level was based on the one-sided tail probability of the null distribution (999 Monte Carlo simulations).