Parents' smoking habit and prevalence of atopic eczema in 6-7 and 13-14 year-old schoolchildren in Spain. ISAAC phase III.
OBJECTIVE
Atopic eczema (AE) is the most frequent inflammatory skin disease in childhood in the western world. Several studies have reported a significant increase of prevalence in recent decades and the environmental factors implicated in its aetiology, including environmental tobacco smoke. This study aims to investigate the possible association of AE prevalence in Spanish schoolchildren aged 6-7 and 13-14 years in relation to their parents' smoking habits.


METHODS
We conducted a cross-sectional population-based study with 6-7 year-old (n = 27805) and 13-14 year-old (n = 31235) schoolchildren from 10 Spanish centres. AE prevalence was assessed using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire, and the Spanish Academy of Dermatology criteria, used in Spain to diagnose AE.


RESULTS
An association was found in school-children aged 6-7 (adjusted for gender, presence of asthma, presence of rhinitis, siblings and mother's level of education) between AE being clinically diagnosed with the mother's smoking habit (RPRa 1.40, 1.10-1.78) and there being more than 2 smokers at home (RPRa 1.34, 1.01-1.78). Regarding the presence of itchy rash, an association was observed with fathers who smoke (RPRa 1.40, 1.13-1.72). Among the 13-14 year-olds, no association was observed in relation to either clinically diagnosed AE or the appearance of itchy rash with parents' smoking habit.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate the risk for children of being exposed to environmental tobacco smoke in terms of AE, especially when they are younger.
Morales Suárez-Varela
M
M
Unit of Public Health, Hygiene, and Environmental care, Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain. maria.m.morales@uv.es
García-Marcos
L
L
Kogan
M D
MD
Llopis González
A
A
Martínez Gimeno
A
A
Aguinaga Ontoso
I
I
González Díaz
C
C
Arnedo Peña
A
A
Domínguez Aurrecoechea
B
B
Busquets Monge
R M
RM
Blanco Quirós
A
A
Batlles Garrido
J
J
Miner Canflanca
I
I
López-Silvarrey Várela
A
A
Gimeno Clemente
N
N
D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D015995:Prevalence; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires