title: The Health Effects of Passive Smoking: An Overview of Systematic Reviews Based on Observational Epidemiological Evidence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aim to systematically summarize the available epidemiological evidence to identify the impact of environmental tobacco smoke on health.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic literature search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus for meta-analyses was conducted through January 2015. We included systematic reviews that investigated the association between passive smoking and certain diseases. Quantitative outcomes of association between passive smoking and the risk of certain diseases were summarized.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen meta-analyses covering 130 cohort studies, 159 case-control studies, and 161 cross-sectional studies and involving 25 diseases or health problems were reviewed. Passive smoking appears not to be significantly associated with eight diseases or health problems, but significantly elevates the risk for eleven specific diseases or health problems, including invasive meningococcal disease in children (OR 2.18; 95% CI 1.63-2.92), cervical cancer (OR 1.73; 95% CI 1.35-2.21), Neisseria meningitidis carriage (OR 1.68; 95% CI 1.19-2.36), Streptococcus pneumoniae carriage (OR 1.66; 95% CI 1.33-2.07), lower respiratory infections in infancy (OR 1.42; 95% CI 1.33-1.51), food allergy (OR 1.43; 95% CI 1.12-1.83), and so on.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our overview of systematic reviews of observational epidemiological evidence suggests that passive smoking is significantly associated with an increasing risk of many diseases or health problems, especially diseases in children and cancers.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Shiyi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gan
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Zuxun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution