[Exposure to tobacco smoke (passive smoking) in the home and inpatient treatment of children under the age of 5 years in Germany].
OBJECTIVE
Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) poses an impact on the health of the newborns and infants. In Germany research about the tobacco-attributable morbidity and mortality has been conducted to a very small extent. This analysis examines all data from 16 federal states in regard to number and duration of hospitalization of children exposed to ETS up to 5 years of age.


METHODS
Integration of two different data sets: (a) national data (number of households with children younger than 5 years exposed to a current smoker) with (b) hospital statistics (number and duration of hospitalisations by diagnoses) for all 16 federal states. Relative risks for tobacco-attributable diseases were taken from current research.


RESULTS
In Germany the rate for tobacco-attributable hospitalisations of children between 0 and < 5 years range from 1.6 % to 3.8 % between states. Between 22.0 % and 27.1 % of all hospitalisations with the diagnosis of otitis media or respiratory diseases are attributable to passive smoking.


CONCLUSIONS
Tobacco-attributable hospitalisations pose a serious but preventable problem for the health care system.
Thyrian
J R
JR
Institut für Epidemiologie und Sozialmedizin, Universität Greifswald. thyrian@uni-greifswald.de
Hanke
M
M
Hannöver
W
W
Grempler
J
J
Röske
K
K
Fusch
C
C
John
U
U
D001249:Asthma / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D012307:Risk Factors; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution