| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
Guest Access | Sign In via User Name/Password
|
|
|
|||||||
Guest Access | Sign In via User Name/Password |
|||||||||
* From the Institute of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (Drs. Radon and Nowak, and Ms. Büsching), Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany; National Research Center for Environment and Health (Drs. Heinrich and Wichmann), Institute of Epidemiology, Neuherberg, Germany; and Krankenhaus Großhansdorf (Drs. Jörres and Magnussen), Zentrum für Pneumologie und Thoraxchirurgie, Großhansdorf, Germany.
Correspondence to: Katja Radon, PhD, Institute of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Ziemssenstr 1, D-80336 Munich, Germany; e-mail: Katja.Radon{at}arbeits.med.uni-muenchen.de
Objective: The effects of passive smoke exposure on respiratory health are still under debate. Therefore, we examined the risk of respiratory symptoms related to passive smoke exposure among German adults within the European Community Respiratory Health Survey.
Methods: The questionnaire data of the population-based sample (n = 1,890) were analyzed. Multiple logistic regression models were carried out for current asthma (asthma symptoms or medication), chronic bronchitis (cough with phlegm for 
3 months per year), and wheezing as dependent variables, and self-reported exposure to passive smoke at home and at the workplace as independent variables after adjusting for city, age, gender, active smoking, and socioeconomic status as well as occupational exposure to dusts and/or gases.
Results: The relative odds for chronic bronchitis were significantly higher in subjects reporting involuntary tobacco smoke exposure in the workplace (odds ratio [OR], 1.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16 to 3.11). Likewise, the adjusted OR for asthma was slightly elevated (OR, 1.51; 95% CI, 0.99 to 2.32). The risk of chronic bronchitis (OR, 3.07; 95% CI, 1.56 to 6.06), asthma (OR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.07 to 3.97), and wheezing (OR, 2.12; 95% CI, 1.25 to 3.58) increased significantly with a daily exposure of > 8 h.
Conclusion: The control of passive smoke exposure in the workplace might reduce the risk of respiratory symptoms independently of exposure to other airborne contaminants.
Key Words: adults • cross-sectional survey • environmental air pollutants • epidemiology • European Community Respiratory Health Survey • occupations
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  M. W. Gerbase, C. Schindler, J.-P. Zellweger, N. Kunzli, S. H. Downs, O. Brandli, J. Schwartz, M. Frey, L. Burdet, T. Rochat, et al. Respiratory Effects of Environmental Tobacco Exposure Are Enhanced by Bronchial Hyperreactivity Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., November 15, 2006; 174(10): 1125 - 1131. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J Genuneit, G Weinmayr, K Radon, H Dressel, D Windstetter, P Rzehak, C Vogelberg, W Leupold, D Nowak, E von Mutius, et al. Smoking and the incidence of asthma during adolescence: results of a large cohort study in Germany Thorax, July 1, 2006; 61(7): 572 - 578. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T M L Eagan, J Hetland, and L E Aaro Decline in respiratory symptoms in service workers five months after a public smoking ban Tob. Control, June 1, 2006; 15(3): 242 - 246. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. Gruning, A. B. Gilmore, and M. McKee Tobacco Industry Influence on Science and Scientists in Germany Am J Public Health, January 1, 2006; 96(1): 20 - 32. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. S. Braman Chronic Cough Due to Chronic Bronchitis: ACCP Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines Chest, January 1, 2006; 129(1_suppl): 104S - 115S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. Olivieri and E. Scoditti Impact of environmental factors on lung defences Eur. Respir. Rev., December 1, 2005; 14(95): 51 - 56. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. Airoldi, P. Vineis, A. Colombi, L. Olgiati, C. Dell'Osta, R. Fanelli, L. Manzi, F. Veglia, H. Autrup, A. Dunning, et al. 4-Aminobiphenyl-Hemoglobin Adducts and Risk of Smoking-Related Disease in Never Smokers and Former Smokers in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Prospective Study Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., September 1, 2005; 14(9): 2118 - 2124. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
