Biomarkers of passive smoking among Greek preschool children.
BACKGROUND
Greece has the highest adult smoking prevalence in the European Union, affecting not only those who smoke but also threatening the health of those who are involuntarily exposed to passive smoke, especially young Greek children.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to quantify passive smoking biomarkers (serum nicotine and cotinine levels) among preschool children in Crete in relation to parental smoking habits.


METHODS
All children enrolled in kindergarten in western Crete (1,757 preschool children and 2,809 parents) were interviewed during the 2004-2005 Cretan health promotion programme out of which a sample of 81 children was randomly selected according to parental smoking status and blood samples for cotinine and nicotine assay were taken.


RESULTS
The geometric means of serum nicotine values in children with both parents current smokers and in those with both parents non-smokers were 0.71 ng/ml (95%CI 0.62, 0.80) and 0.59 ng/ml (95%CI 0.49, 0.69), respectively, (p=0.073). Cotinine geometric mean values were found at 1.69 ng/ml (95%CI 0.93, 3.06) and 0.15 ng/ml (95%CI 0.09, 0.28), respectively, (p<0.001). Girls with smoker parents had also greater cotinine geometric mean values than boys (3.35 versus 0.85 ng/ml, respectively, p=0.018).


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings prove that Greek preschool children, especially young girls, are exposed to substantial levels of passive smoke which therefore stresses the need for immediate action so as to prevent the predisposition and early addiction of Greek preschool children to tobacco.
Vardavas
Constantine I
CI
Preventive Medicine and Nutrition Clinic, Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, P.O. Box 2208, 71003, Heraklion, Crete, Greece. vardavas@edu.med.uoc.gr
Tzatzarakis
Manolis N
MN
Tsatsakis
Aristeidis M
AM
Athanasopoulos
Dimitrios
D
Balomenaki
Evaggelia
E
Linardakis
Manolis K
MK
Kafatos
Anthony G
AG
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003367:Cotinine / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000097:blood*; D010290:Parents; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*
D015415:Biomarkers; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D009538:Nicotine; D003367:Cotinine