title: Exposure to tobacco smoke and childhood rhinitis: a population-based study.
abstract: Exposure to tobacco smoke has been associated with harmful effects on child health. The association between tobacco smoke exposure and childhood rhinitis has not been established in developed or developing countries. We investigated the association between serum cotinine levels and rhinitis in a population sample of 1,315 Asian children. Serum cotinine levels were positively associated with rhinitis ever (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.95; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15-7.60) and current rhinitis (AOR = 2.71; 95% CI: 1.07-6.89), while the association for physician-diagnosed rhinitis approaching borderline significance (AOR = 2.26; 95% CI: 0.88-5.83). Stratified analyses demonstrated significant association of serum cotinine levels with current rhinitis among children without allergic sensitization (AOR = 6.76; 95% CI: 1.21-37.74), but not among those with allergic sensitization. Serum cotinine levels were positively associated with rhinitis ever (AOR = 3.34; 95% CI: 1.05-10.61) and current rhinitis (AOR = 4.23; 95% CI: 1.28-13.97) among adolescents but not in children aged less than 10 years. This population-based study demonstrates supportive evidence for positive association of tobacco smoke exposure with rhinitis, while the effect is mainly confined to non-allergic rhinitis and more pronounced in adolescents than in young children, highlighting the need for raising public health awareness about the detrimental effects of tobacco smoke exposure on children's respiratory health.
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy, Asthma, and Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.|Chang Gung Immunology Consortium, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.|Community Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Keelung, Keelung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tsung-Chieh
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Clinical Informatics and Medical Statistics Research Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Su-Wei
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wei-Chiao
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Community Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Keelung, Keelung, Taiwan.|Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Keelung, Keelung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Han
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Community Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Keelung, Keelung, Taiwan.|Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Keelung, Keelung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Sui-Ling
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Community Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Keelung, Keelung, Taiwan.|Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Keelung, Keelung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Man-Chin
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.affiliation: Community Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Keelung, Keelung, Taiwan.|Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shen-Hao
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy, Asthma, and Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.|Community Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Keelung, Keelung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kuo-Wei
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy, Asthma, and Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.|Community Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Keelung, Keelung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Lun
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy, Asthma, and Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.|Community Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Keelung, Keelung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wan-Chen
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Institutes of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan.|Department of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.|Department of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hui-Ju
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy, Asthma, and Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.|Community Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Keelung, Keelung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jing-Long
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003367:Cotinine / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D003367:Cotinine