Asthma and asthma-related symptoms in 16 789 Chinese children in relation to pet keeping and parental atopy.
BACKGROUND
The relationship between exposure to animals and allergic respiratory diseases in childhood is controversial, and there is little information about how exposure to pets affects the respiratory health of Chinese children, who have lower rates of asthma.


OBJECTIVE
To study the association between exposure to pets and doctor-diagnosed asthma and asthma-related symptoms in Chinese children. We also investigated whether genetic propensity as a result of parental atopy modifies these relations.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study of 16 789 children was conducted at 24 randomly selected kindergartens and 12 elementary schools in Liaoning province, China. Information on respiratory health and exposure to indoor allergens was obtained by a standard questionnaire from the American Thoracic Society.


RESULTS
In children, exposure to animals was associated with a diagnosis of asthma (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30-1.70), wheezing (adjusted OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.18-1.60), persistent cough (adjusted OR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.52-1.91), and persistent phlegm (adjusted OR, 2.26; 95% CI, 1.94-2.64). Parental atopy increased the risk of a diagnosis of asthma (adjusted OR, 3.12; 95% CI, 2.61-3.73) and asthma-related symptoms. There was an interaction between parental atopy and pet exposure in persistent cough and persistent phlegm, but not in doctor-diagnosed asthma.


CONCLUSIONS
Pet keeping and parental atopy increased the risk of asthma and allergic respiratory diseases in children. Parental atopy modified the effect of pet exposure in persistent cough and persistent phlegm but not in doctor-diagnosed asthma.
Dong
Guang-Hui
GH
Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province 110001, People's Republic of China. ghdong@mail.cmu.edu.cn
Ding
Hai-Long
HL
Ma
Ya-Nan
YN
Jin
Jing
J
Cao
Ying
Y
Zhao
Ya-Dong
YD
He
Qin-Cheng
QC
D000293:Adolescent; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic / Q000276:immunology; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000485:Allergens