Regular Smoking and Asthma Incidence in Adolescents

• DOI: 10.1164/rccm.200605-722oc
• Publication Date: 2006-09-15T01:36:42Z
• Authors: Frank D. Gilliland; Talat Islam; Kiros Berhane; W. James Gauderman; Rob McConnell; Edward Avol; John M. Peters
• Keywords: Tobacco smoke

Rationale: Although involuntary exposure to maternal smoking during the in utero period and secondhand smoke are associated with occurrence of childhood asthma, few studies have investigated role active cigarette on asthma onset adolescence.Objectives: To determine whether regular is new adolescence.Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study among 2,609 children no lifetime history or wheezing who were recruited from fourth- seventh-grade classrooms followed annually schools 12 southern California communities. Regular was defined as at least seven cigarettes per day average over week before 300 year each annual interview. Incident using cases physician-diagnosed asthma.Measurements Main Results: increased risk new-onset asthma. Children reported more had relative (RR) 3.9 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.7–8.5) for compared nonsmokers. The greater nonallergic than allergic children. smokers exposed gestation largest (RR, 8.8; 95% CI, 3.2–24.0).Conclusions: adolescents, especially adolescents those period.