FACTORS MODIFYING EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO-SMOKE IN CHILDREN(ATHENS, GREECE)

The aim of the study was to investigate individual, family and environ mental factors which may modify exposure of children to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). A total of 2,108 children of both genders, aged u p to 14 years old, were enrolled in the study. Parents of the children provided information concerning several factors that may affect expos ure to ETS. Cotinine-to-creatinine ratios in spot urine samples were m easured for each child. These values were logtransformed and regressed on a series of exposure variables. Among children, 73 percent were ex posed to ETS generated by at least one smoker in the household. Exposu re to ETS was affected by the following factors: cigarettes smoked by parents while the child was at home (increase by 37 percent per 10 cig arettes daily, 95 percent confidence interval [CI] = 32-43 percent); p recautions taken by parents (no cf yes, increase by 38 percent, CI = 2 4-54 percent); child's age (decrease by nine percent per year, CI = -1 1--8 percent); gender (male lower than female by 13 -21--3 percent); d ay of the week (Monday cf Tuesday-through-Sunday, increase by 28 perce nt, CI = 2 14-44 percent); floor surface area (decrease by nine percen t per 20m(2), CI = -14--5 percent); heating (central cf noncentral dec rease by 14 percent, CI= -25--2 percent); maternal education (decrease by nine percent per five years, CI = -18-0 percent); paternal educati on (decrease by seven percent per five years, CI = -15-2 percent). It is concluded that several household-related factors affect exposure to ETS and that this exposure can be reduced by about one-third by simpl e precautions taken by smoking parents.