title: Dose-response association between smoking and atopic eczema: results from a large cross-sectional study in adolescents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tobacco smoking and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) are known risk factors for asthma, but their association with atopic eczema is unclear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association of smoking and exposure to ETS with prevalence of atopic eczema in a national sample of 13- to 14-year-olds in Israel.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study within the framework of the International Study on Asthma and Allergies in Childhood.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complete data were available for 10,298 schoolchildren. Atopic eczema as well as asthma and allergic rhinitis were significantly more prevalent in smokers than nonsmokers. Multiple regression analysis revealed a dose-response association between smoking and atopic eczema compared to not smoking: occasional smokers, odds ratio (OR) = 1.6 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.2-2.3); daily smokers, OR = 2.2 (95% CI = 1.4-3.6). Exposure to ETS at home was significantly associated with asthma (OR = 1.25; 95% CI = 1.1-1.5) but not atopic eczema.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The dose-response association between active smoking and atopic eczema in adolescents is a novel observation which deserves further consideration.
authors.affiliation: Allergy and Immunology Clinic, Pulmonary Institute, Rabin Medical Center Petach Tikva, affiliated with Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. graif@post.tau.ac.il
authors.forename: Yael
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Graif
authors.forename: Larissa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: German
authors.forename: Anneke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ifrah
authors.forename: Irit
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Livne
authors.forename: Tamy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shohat
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000453:epidemiology; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution