PASSIVE SMOKING AND CHRONIC RESPIRATORY-DISEASE SYMPTOMS IN NONSMOKING ADULTS

A prospective study was conducted to investigate the possible effects of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) on the development of definite sy mptoms of airway obstructive disease (AOD) in a non-smoking adult popu lation. In all 3914 subjects completed a standardized respiratory symp toms questionnaire in 1977 and 1987 and a computerized algorithm was u sed to identify new cases of definite symptoms of AOD during the follo w-up period. In multivariate logistic regression models which adjusted for age, gender, income, educational level, years smoked in the past, and concentrations of ambient air pollutants, ETS exposure during chi ldhood only was associated with a relative risk (RR) of 1.09 (95% conf idence interval [CI] : 0.69-1.79), during adulthood only with an RR of 1.28 (95% CI : 0.90-1.79), and during both childhood and adult life w ith an RR of 1.72 (95% CI : 1.31-2.23). Results were not significantly changed when only lifetime never-smokers were used in analyses, and n o interaction between ETS exposure and concentrations of ambient air p ollutants was observed.