title: Critical role of smoking and household dampness during childhood for adult phlegm and cough: a research example from a prospective cohort study in Great Britain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine independent associations between childhood exposures to smoking and household dampness, and phlegm and cough in adulthood.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  7320 of the British cohort who were born during 1 week in 1970 and had complete data for childhood and adult information.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experiences of phlegm and coughing over the previous 3 months were assessed using questions from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Questionnaire on respiratory symptoms when the cohort participants were 29 years of age. 4 response patterns (no symptoms, phlegm only, cough only, both symptoms present) were created based on the responses to these questions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Childhood smoking and exposure to marked household dampness at age 10 were associated with phlegm (childhood smoking: relative risk ratio (RRR)=1.45, 95% CI 1.02 to 2.05; dampness: RRR=2.05, 95% CI 1.07 to 3.91) and co-occurring cough and phlegm (childhood smoking: RRR=1.35. 95% CI 1.08 to 1.67; dampness: RRR=2.73, 95% CI 1.88 to 3.99), while exposure to two or more adult smokers in the household was associated with cough-related symptoms (cough only: RRR=1.28, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.58; phlegm and cough: RRR=1.32, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.64). These associations were independent from adult smoking, childhood phlegm and cough, early social background and sex. Current smoking at age 29 contributed to all symptom patterns; however, a substantial association between household dampness and co-occurring phlegm and cough suggest long-term detrimental effects of childhood environmental exposures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings give support to current public health interventions for adult smoking and raise concerns about the long-term effects of a damp home environment on the respiratory health of children.
authors.affiliation: International Centre for Life Course Studies in Society and Health (ICLS), Research Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cable
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Mel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bartley
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sacker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects; D002648:Child; D003371:Cough / Q000209:etiology*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013997:Time Factors; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution
keywords: Adult Respiratory Health; BCS70; Household Dampness; Life Course Study
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