title: Father's environment before conception and asthma risk in his children: a multi-generation analysis of the Respiratory Health In Northern Europe study.
abstract: Whereas it is generally accepted that maternal environment plays a key role in child health, emerging evidence suggests that paternal environment before conception also impacts child health. We aimed to investigate the association between children's asthma risk and parental smoking and welding exposures prior to conception.
  
  
  
  In a longitudinal, multi-country study, parents of 24 168 offspring aged 2-51 years provided information on their life-course smoking habits, occupational exposure to welding and metal fumes, and offspring's asthma before/after age 10 years and hay fever. Logistic regressions investigated the relevant associations controlled for age, study centre, parental characteristics (age, asthma, education) and clustering by family.
  
  
  
  Non-allergic early-onset asthma (asthma without hay fever, present in 5.8%) was more common in the offspring with fathers who smoked before conception {odds ratio [OR] = 1.68 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.18-2.41]}, whereas mothers' smoking before conception did not predict offspring asthma. The risk was highest if father started smoking before age 15 years [3.24 (1.67-6.27)], even if he stopped more than 5 years before conception [2.68 (1.17-6.13)]. Fathers' pre-conception welding was independently associated with non-allergic asthma in his offspring [1.80 (1.29-2.50)]. There was no effect if the father started welding or smoking after birth. The associations were consistent across countries.
  
  
  
  Environmental exposures in young men appear to influence the respiratory health of their offspring born many years later. Influences during susceptible stages of spermatocyte development might be important and needs further investigation in humans. We hypothesize that protecting young men from harmful exposures may lead to improved respiratory health in future generations.
authors: Centre for International Health, University of Bergen, Norway.|Department of Occupational Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.|Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Norway.
authors: Cecilie
authors: C
authors: Svanes
authors: Centre for International Health, University of Bergen, Norway.|School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Australia.|Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Koplin
authors: Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Norway.|Department of Obstetrics, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
authors: Svein Magne
authors: SM
authors: Skulstad
authors: Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Norway.|Centre for Clinical Research, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
authors: Ane
authors: A
authors: Johannessen
authors: Department of Occupational Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.|Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Norway.
authors: Randi Jakobsen
authors: RJ
authors: Bertelsen
authors: Department of Allergy, Respiratory Medicine and Sleep, Landspitali University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland.|University of Iceland, Medical Faculty.
authors: Byndis
authors: B
authors: Benediktsdottir
authors: Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Sweden.
authors: Lennart
authors: L
authors: Bråbäck
authors: Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Elie Carsin
authors: Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Norway.|School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Australia.
authors: Shyamali
authors: S
authors: Dharmage
authors: Centre for International Health, University of Bergen, Norway.|Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Gender & Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel University, Switzerland.
authors: Julia
authors: J
authors: Dratva
authors: Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Sweden.
authors: Bertil
authors: B
authors: Forsberg
authors: Department of Allergy, Respiratory Medicine and Sleep, Landspitali University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland.|University of Iceland, Medical Faculty.
authors: Thorarinn
authors: T
authors: Gislason
authors: Institute of Epidemiology I, Helmholtz Zentrum, Munich, Germany.
authors: Joachim
authors: J
authors: Heinrich
authors: Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors: Mathias
authors: M
authors: Holm
authors: Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Sweden.
authors: Christer
authors: C
authors: Janson
authors: Faculty of Medicine, National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, UK.
authors: Deborah
authors: D
authors: Jarvis
authors: Lung Clinic, Foundation Tartu University Clinics, Tartu, Estonia.|Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Tartu University, Estonia.
authors: Rain
authors: R
authors: Jögi
authors: Research Center Borstel, Leibniz-Center for Medicine and Biosciences, Divison of Experimental Asthma Research, University of Kiel, Germany.
authors: Susanne
authors: S
authors: Krauss-Etschmann
authors: Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Sweden.
authors: Eva
authors: E
authors: Lindberg
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Haukeland, University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
authors: Ferenc
authors: F
authors: Macsali
authors: Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Sweden.
authors: Andrei
authors: A
authors: Malinovschi
authors: Centre for International Health, University of Bergen, Norway.|Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Sweden.
authors: Lars
authors: L
authors: Modig
authors: Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Sweden.
authors: Dan
authors: D
authors: Norbäck
authors: Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Norway.|Centre for Clinical Research, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
authors: Ernst
authors: E
authors: Omenaas
authors: Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Norway.
authors: Eirunn
authors: E
authors: Waatevik Saure
authors: Department of Public Health; Aarhus University, Denmark.
authors: Torben
authors: T
authors: Sigsgaard
authors: Department of Occupational Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
authors: Trude Duelien
authors: TD
authors: Skorge
authors: Department of Occupational Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.|Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Norway.
authors: Øistein
authors: Ø
authors: Svanes
authors: Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors: Kjell
authors: K
authors: Torén
authors: Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Norway.
authors: Carl
authors: C
authors: Torres
authors: Department of Public Health; Aarhus University, Denmark.
authors: Vivi
authors: V
authors: Schlünssen
authors: Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Norway.|Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Haukeland, University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
authors: Francisco
authors: F
authors: Gomez Real
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018812:Paternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014896:Welding; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: asthma; epidemiology; epigenesis; occupational exposure; smoking