title: Respiratory symptoms/diseases and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in never smoker Italian women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the relationship between respiratory/allergic disorders and chronic environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure to husband or at workplace among non-smoking women of a general population in Italy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analyses regard 2195 married or employed women. Information was collected through a self-administered questionnaire. ETS exposure was validated by salivary cotinine.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exposure both to husband and at work resulted a significant risk factor for current dyspnoea (odds ratio (OR) 1.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20-2.16), any shortness of breath at rest (OR 2.81, 95% CI 1.83-4.30), recent wheeze (OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.04-2.82), recent attacks of shortness of breath with wheeze (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.05-3.26), asthma diagnosis/symptoms (OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.09-2.08), diagnosis of asthma or bronchitis/emphysema (obstructive lung diseases (OLD)) (OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.40-3.58), current cough/phlegm (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.07-2.15), and rhino-conjunctivitis (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.13-1.94). Exposure only at work yielded higher adjusted odds ratios for all health conditions, except for rhino-conjunctivitis. Overall, about 24% of shortness of breath at rest, 16% of dyspnoea, 17% of rhino-conjunctivitis, 12% of OLD, and 10% of asthma diagnosis/symptoms are attributable to the effect of exposures to both husband and at work. Twelve percent of shortness of breath at rest and 10% of rhino-conjunctivitis cases might be avoided by eliminating exposure only at work and only to husband, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lifetime ETS exposure, especially at work, is associated with respiratory symptoms/diseases, and it accounts for a sizeable proportion of such disorders. The combined effect of both exposures is higher than the separate effects.
authors.affiliation: Unità di Epidemiologia Ambientale Polmonare, Istituto di Fisiologia Clinica, CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, Via Trieste, 41 56126 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Marzia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simoni
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baldacci
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Puntoni
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pistelli
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Farchi
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lo Presti
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pistelli
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Corbo
authors.forename: Nerina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Agabiti
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Basso
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Matteelli
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Pede
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carrozzi
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Forastiere
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Viegi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D003231:Conjunctivitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D015995:Prevalence; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000209:etiology; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D018454:Spouses; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution