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Since 1 January 2016, the 22 French metropolitan regions have merged to form 13 new regions. The deployment of public policies in these regions with enhanced areas of jurisdiction leads us to wonder about the way in which the merger leads to the reduction of territorial disparities or not. We analyse these disparities using five sociodemographic indicators. Several geographical levels are mobilised : the European Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) and the French employment zones. The main characteristics of the new regions in a national and European context are highlighted using statistical and spatial data analysis methods. Inter-regional contrasts are relatively low in France, in comparison with those prevailing in other European States. The main discontinuities are found between countries rather than between regions within a country. At the national level, some merged regions appear relatively homogeneous (Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and Normandie) compared to others more contrasted (Hauts-de-France, Occitanie, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Grand Est). The main territorial discontinuities are observed within the same regions and not between them., Antunez Kim, Baccaïni Brigitte, Guérois Marianne, Ysebaert Ronan. Disparities and territorial discontinuities in France with its new regions: A multiscalar and multidimensional interpretation. In: Economie et Statistique / Economics and Statistics, n°497-498, 2017. pp. 19-41.

International audience; In a national study, we investigated the incidence of childhood leukaemia (CL) over a 14-year period in France in relation to several measures based on the proportion of individuals who changed address between the last two national censuses. A positive association was found with the proportion of migrants who came from a distant place. The further the migrants came, the higher was the incidence of leukaemia, particularly among children aged 0-4 years in 'isolated' communes at the time of diagnosis (RR=1.4, 95% CI: 1.1,1.8 in the highest category of migration distance). Although the role of the population density was less obvious, a more marked association was found above a certain threshold. No association with the proportion of commuters was observed.British Journal of Cancer (2008) 98, 225-231. doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6604141 www.bjcancer.com Published online 18 December 2007.

The association between the risk of childhood leukaemia before age 7 years and population-mixing at the place of residence at birth was investigated by retrospectively considering all the children born in mainland French communes between 1st January 1990 and 31st December 1998. An increased risk of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia was found with higher levels of migration for children residing at birth in isolated communes with a population density > or =50 people per km2 (SIRR = 2.59, 95% CI: 1.48-4.49). No association was observed with lower population densities. For children residing in non-isolated communes at birth, the results were similar but less marked. The risk tended to increase only for population densities > or =5000 people per km2 (SIRR = 1.57, 95% CI: 0.99-2.52). The findings are consistent with epidemic models and support the hypothesis of an infectious aetiology relating to population-mixing. Population density may be seen as an indicator of the opportunity of contacts between inhabitants and should therefore be taken into account when investigating an infectious hypothesis. This is the first systematic study of population-mixing at the place of residence at the time of birth to be conducted on a national scale.