Tobacco intervention teachable moments for pediatric otolaryngologists: atopy and second hand smoke exposure among children.
OBJECTIVE
Pediatric otolaryngology clinics have tremendous access to children with allergic conditions, yet no research has evaluated in this setting environmental tobacco smoke and the occurrence of atopic diseases.


METHODS
Caregivers or parents of 201 consecutive patients in a Hungarian pediatric otolaryngology clinic were queried on otolaryngologic conditions; self-reported diagnoses of atopic diseases; and tobacco smoke exposure.


RESULTS
A history of asthma was reported in 10.3% of children; 38.7% had at least one parent who smoked. Fifteen out of the 20 children with asthma (75.0%) had at least one parent who smoked. Having a diagnosis of hay fever and having a parent who smoked greatly increased the odds of having a diagnosis of asthma.


CONCLUSIONS
Second hand smoke exposure among children in an otolaryngology clinic was common, and was associated with co-existing atopic conditions. Pediatric otolaryngologists have an important opportunity to address parental smoking as part their care of children.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Heim Pal Children's Hospital, 13 Delej utca, H-1089 Budapest, Hungary.
Zsuzsanna
Z
Csákányi
Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA. Electronic address: jspangle@wakehealth.edu.
John
J
Spangler
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Heim Pal Children's Hospital, 13 Delej utca, H-1089 Budapest, Hungary.
Gábor
G
Katona
D017677:Age Distribution; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D017028:Caregivers / Q000193:education; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015994:Incidence; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010036:Otolaryngology / Q000193:education*; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000193:education*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000517:prevention & control
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution
Asthma; Atopy; Children; Hay fever; Pediatric otolaryngology; Second hand tobacco smoke