title: [Exposure to tobacco smoke (passive smoking) in the home and inpatient treatment of children under the age of 5 years in Germany].
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Epidemiologie und Sozialmedizin, Universität Greifswald. thyrian@uni-greifswald.de
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Thyrian
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hanke
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hannöver
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grempler
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Röske
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fusch
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: John
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution