An evaluation of the relationship between self-report and biochemical measures of environmental tobacco smoke exposure.
To evaluate the relationship between self-reported exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and saliva cotinine concentrations, we studied 186 nonsmokers. Each participant completed an exposure questionnaire, kept a daily exposure diary for 7 days, and provided a saliva sample for cotinine analysis. Salivary cotinine concentrations were measured using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Of the volunteers, 30% lived with one or more smokers, and 84% were regularly exposed to smokers at work. Eighty-three percent of the volunteers had detectable saliva cotinine concentrations (> or = 0.5 ng/ml) (median = 1.1; range = 0.5-7.4 ng/ml). Cotinine concentrations were related to exposure in the household and at the workplace. Volunteers who lived with smokers had significantly higher cotinine levels (median = 1.0; range = < 0.5-7.4 ng/ml) than those who did not (median = < 0.5; range = < 0.5-4.7 ng/ml). Volunteers who reported regular exposure at work had higher cotinine levels (median = 0.8; range = < 0.5-7.4 ng/ml) than those who did not (median = < 0.5; range = < 0.5-3.0 ng/ml). Cotinine concentrations were predicted by a regression equation that included the number of smokers at home and work and the number of minutes of exposure recorded in the daily diary (r2 = 0.29).
Miriam Hospital/Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, RI 02906.
K M
KM
Emmons
D B
DB
Abrams
R
R
Marshall
B H
BH
Marcus
M
M
Kane
T E
TE
Novotny
R A
RA
Etzel
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003367:Cotinine / Q000032:analysis*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D012650:Self Disclosure; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000032:analysis* / Q000517:prevention & control
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D003367:Cotinine