Im. Carey et al., The effects of environmental tobacco smoke exposure on lung function in a longitudinal study of British adults, EPIDEMIOLOG, 10(3), 1999, pp. 319-326
Citations number
32
Categorie Soggetti
Envirnomentale Medicine & Public Health","Medical Research General Topics
Small effects of environmental tobacco smoke exposure on lung function have
been demonstrated in many studies of children, but fewer studies have exam
ined adults in this respect. We examined these relations in a 7-year longit
udinal study of 1,623 British adults, age 18-73 years, who were nonsmokers
throughout. Outcome was measured by forced expiratory volume in 1 second (F
EV1) adjusted for sex, age, and height. Exposure was assessed by asking sub
jects whether they lived with a smoker (at both the initial and the follow-
up studies) and by salivary cotinine measurements (follow-up study only). C
ross-sectionally, subjects exposed at home showed tiny FEV1 deficits at bot
h studies of -4 ml [95% confidence limits (CL) = -31, 23] and -5 ml (95% CL
= -32, 22), respectively. Cotinine adjusted for potential confounders show
ed a stronger association with FEV1, with the highest quintile showing a -1
05-ml deficit (95% CL = -174, -37) in comparison with the lowest. Longitudi
nally, no clear relation was apparent between change in FEV1 and average ex
posure or change in exposure. These results indicate that environmental tob
acco smoke is associated with small deficits in adult lung function, consis
tent with our meta-analysis estimate of a 2.7% deficit in exposed nonsmokin
g adults. The relations seen with cotinine but not with household exposure
may reflect the importance of exposure outside the home.