Association of active and passive smoking with allergic disorders in pregnant Japanese women: baseline data from the Osaka Maternal and Child Health Study.
BACKGROUND
Evidence remains inconclusive as to whether smoking is a risk factor for allergic disorders in adults.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between active and passive smoking exposure and allergic disorders in pregnant Japanese women.


METHODS
This cross-sectional study included 1,002 pregnant women. Participants were classified as having asthma after the age of 18 years if they had used an asthma medication at any time after reaching the age of 18 years. Current atopic eczema and allergic rhinitis (including cedar pollinosis) were defined as being present if participants had received any drug treatment during the previous 12 months. Adjustment was made for age; gestation; parity; family history of asthma, atopic eczema, and allergic rhinitis; indoor domestic pets; family income; education; and the mite antigen level in house dust.


RESULTS
Current smoking, but not environmental tobacco smoke exposure, was independently related to an increased prevalence of asthma after the age of 18 years (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 2.66; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30-5.38). A significant positive association of current passive smoking exposure at home (adjusted OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.10-3.30) and at work (adjusted OR, 2.50; 95% CI, 1.29-4.76) with the prevalence of current allergic rhinitis was observed, whereas no measurable association with active smoking exposure was found. Neither active nor passive smoking was statistically significantly related to the prevalence of current atopic eczema.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that active smoking and environmental tobacco smoke exposure may increase the likelihood of asthma and allergic rhinitis, respectively, in pregnant Japanese women.
Department of Public Health, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan. miyake-y@cis.fukuoka-u.ac.jp
Yoshihiro
Y
Miyake
Shoichi
S
Miyamoto
Yukihiro
Y
Ohya
Satoshi
S
Sasaki
Ichiro
I
Matsunaga
Toshiaki
T
Yoshida
Yoshio
Y
Hirota
Hajime
H
Oda
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D007564:Japan; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D012907:Smoking / Q000276:immunology*; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution