Related Experiment Videos
Trends in passive smoking in cystic fibrosis, 1993-1998
A Smyth1, U O'Hea, C Feyerabend
1Department of Paediatrics, Nottingham City Hospital, Nottingham, UK. DrAlanSmyth@compuserve.com
Insights
Passive smoking exposure in children with cystic fibrosis remained stable over five years, with no significant impact on lung function. Further research is needed to confirm potential links between secondhand smoke and lung health in pediatric cystic fibrosis patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Environmental Health
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Children with cystic fibrosis (CF) are vulnerable to environmental exposures that can impact respiratory health.
- Passive smoking (secondhand smoke exposure) is a known risk factor for respiratory illnesses.
- Understanding trends in passive smoking exposure and its effects on lung function in pediatric CF patients is crucial for clinical management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate trends in passive smoking exposure among children with cystic fibrosis over a five-year period.
- To evaluate the association between passive smoking exposure and lung function (FEV1, FVC) in this cohort.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study comparing data from 1993 (n=56) and 1998 (n=52) in children with CF.
- Longitudinal data collected on 34 children in both years.
- Data included family smoking habits questionnaires, lung function tests (FEV1, FVC), and urinary/salivary cotinine levels as biomarkers of exposure.
Main Results:
- Household smoking prevalence remained similar (46% in 1993 vs. 44% in 1998).
- Median daily cigarette consumption in smoking households increased from 15 to 20 cigarettes.
- No significant reduction in urinary cotinine levels was observed; no significant difference in lung function decline between smoking and non-smoking households.
Conclusions:
- Passive smoking exposure in children with cystic fibrosis showed little reduction over the five-year study period.
- The study did not establish a significant relationship between passive smoking exposure and lung function decline in this pediatric CF population.
- Larger studies are warranted to definitively assess the impact of passive smoke exposure on lung function in children with cystic fibrosis.
Abstract:
We set out to study trends in exposure to passive smoking in children with cystic fibrosis over a 5-year period. We also evaluated the effects of this exposure on lung function. Cross-sectional data were collected on 52 children in 1998 and compared with similar data collected on 56 children in 1993. Within these two groups, there were 34 children who were studied on both occasions. Data collected included: questionnaire information about family smoking habits; forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1); forced vital capacity (FVC); and measurements of urinary and salivary cotinine levels. Salivary cotinine was more closely related to family smoking behavior than urinary cotinine concentrations (r for salivary cotinine = 0.54, P < 0.001; r for urinary cotinine = 0.37, P = 0.008). In 1993, 26/56 (46%) households contained at least one smoker (smoking households) compared with 23/52 (44%) in 1998. In 1993, a median of 15 cigarettes was smoked/day in smoking households compared to 20 cigarettes/day in 1998. In the longitudinal group, there was a small, nonsignificant reduction in mean urinary cotinine levels (geometric mean, 1993 = 5.03 ng/mL; 1998 = 4.76 ng/mL; P = 0.4). There was no significant difference between the smoking and nonsmoking households in change in lung function over 5 years (fall in FEV1 in smoking households, 10.3% vs. 11.2% in nonsmoking households; P = 0.87). We conclude that in a group of children with cystic fibrosis followed over 5 years, there was little reduction in passive smoking exposure. We did not show a relationship between such exposure and decline in lung function. A larger study will be necessary to determine whether such an effect is present. .