Environmental tobacco smoke and adult-onset asthma: a population-based incident case–control study

MS Jaakkola, R Piipari, N Jaakkola… - American Journal of …, 2003 - ajph.aphapublications.org
MS Jaakkola, R Piipari, N Jaakkola, JJK Jaakkola
American Journal of Public Health, 2003ajph.aphapublications.org
Objectives. The authors assessed the effects of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) on the
development of asthma in adults. Methods. In the Pirkanmaa district of South Finland, all 21-
to 63-year-old adults with new cases of asthma diagnosed during a 2.5-year period (n= 521
case patients, out of 441 000 inhabitants) and a random sample of control subjects from the
source population (932 control subjects) participated in a population-based incident case–
control study. Results. Risk of asthma was related to workplace ETS exposure (adjusted …
Objectives. The authors assessed the effects of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) on the development of asthma in adults.
Methods. In the Pirkanmaa district of South Finland, all 21- to 63-year-old adults with new cases of asthma diagnosed during a 2.5-year period (n = 521 case patients, out of 441 000 inhabitants) and a random sample of control subjects from the source population (932 control subjects) participated in a population-based incident case–control study.
Results. Risk of asthma was related to workplace ETS exposure (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.16; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.26, 3.72) and home exposure (OR = 4.77; 95% CI = 1.29, 17.7) in the past year. Cumulative ETS exposure over a lifetime at work and at home increased the risk.
Conclusions. This study indicates for the first time that both cumulative lifetime and recent ETS exposures increase the risk of adult-onset asthma.
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