Association of time–location patterns with urinary cotinine among asthmatic children under household environmental tobacco smoke exposure

Relationship between Caregivers’ Smoking at Home and Urinary Levels of Cotinine in Children

“…The impact of the number of smokers at home on ETS exposure to children was highlighted by the significant and progressive increases in urinary cotinine levels in children not living with a smoker to children, living with one smoker, and those living with more than smoker, in the house. This finding is in agreement with other studies [ 28 , 29 ]. These are findings based on large and representative samples, as well as the availability of cotinine values to validate domestic smoking restrictions and quantify the impact of ETS exposure upon children.…”

Smoke exposure as a risk factor for asthma in childhood: A review of current evidence

“…In particular, because exposure to ETS is a likely cause for asthma onset in childhood, there is a strong need to prevent infants and children from breathing air contaminated with tobacco smoke. 36,42 Because homes remain a site where children are dangerously exposed to ETS, public health policies must focus on smoking cessation in the home, where children could gain significant health benefits. In a recent study a significant trend toward reduced exposure to ETS has been established in adolescents after the implementation of smoke-free legislation and an information campaign against smoking.…”

“…Children are more intensely exposed to ETS than adults because of their higher relative breathing rates; however, the magnitude of this exposure is quite difficult to precisely quantify because it is significantly influenced by the child's daily activities. 36 Most commonly, ETS exposure is assessed by questionnaires, a rather cheap approach that covers a long period of time and that may allow retrospective evaluations.…”

“…However, the causal effects of ETS on asthma can not be clearly determined based on cross-sectional data and they should be further investigated in longitudinal studies, with multiple urinary cotinine measurements, to establish a stable profile of household ETS exposure. 36…”

Impact of Presence of Children on Indoor Tobacco Restrictions in Households of Urban and Rural Adult Tobacco Users

“…The duration and intensity of SHSe in children is dependent on the presence of indoor smoking restrictions. 8 Socioeconomic status has been implicated in multiple studies as the major risk factor for in-home SHSe for children due to a lack of indoor restrictions. 9 Other risk factors include parental smoking, low parental educational attainment, and less-negative attitudes towards the risks of tobacco smoke.…”