Parental smoking, socioeconomic factors, and risk of invasive meningococcal disease in children: a population based case-control study

Citation
P. Kriz et al., Parental smoking, socioeconomic factors, and risk of invasive meningococcal disease in children: a population based case-control study, ARCH DIS CH, 83(2), 2000, pp. 117-121
Citations number
28
Categorie Soggetti
Pediatrics,"Medical Research General Topics
Journal title
ARCHIVES OF DISEASE IN CHILDHOOD
ISSN journal
00039888 → ACNP
Volume
83
Issue
2
Year of publication
2000
Pages
117 - 121
Database
ISI
SICI code
0003-9888(200008)83:2<117:PSSFAR>2.0.ZU;2-K
Abstract
Aims-To investigate the effects of parental smoking, socioeconomic characte ristics, and indoor environment on the risk of invasive meningococcal disea se in children. Methods-Population based case-control study. A total of 68 incident cases o f invasive meningococcal disease in children less than 15 years old were co mpared with 135 controls selected from the same school and matched for year of birth, sex, and place of residence. Information on exposures was obtain ed in interviews with parents. Results-Invasive meningococcal disease was strongly associated with parenta l smoking; rate ratios adjusted for socioeconomic factors were 3.5 (95% con fidence interval 1.4-8.7) for smoking of mother, 3.2 (1.5-6.9) for smoking of father, and 2.7 (1.3-5.4) for every 20 cigarettes smoked at home on an a verage day. The risk of the disease was strongly inversely related to mater nal education and, less strongly, to ownership of a car and of a weekend ho use, father's education, crowding, and the number of siblings, but these as sociations were reduced or eliminated in multivariate models. The type of h eating and cooking (used as proxies for indoor air pollution) were not asso ciated with the disease. Conclusion-The risk of invasive meningococcal disease in children is strong ly influenced by parental smoking and unfavourable socioeconomic circumstan ces.