Maternal waterpipe smoke exposure and the risk of asthma and allergic diseases in childhood: A post hoc analysis

Abstract

Objectives: This analysis was conducted with the objective of evaluating association between waterpipe passive smoking exposure and asthma, and allergies among Lebanese children. Material and Methods: Data were taken from a crosssectional study on children from public and private schools. A sample of 22 schools participated in the study, where standardized written core questionnaires were distributed. From 5 to 12-year-old students filled in the questionnaires at home, while 13-14-year-old students filled it in in the class. In total, 5522 children were evaluated for the prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic eczema, and their associated factors, including waterpipe exposure due to parents' smoking. Results: The descriptive results of parental smoking were, as follows: among mothers: 1609 (29%) mothers smoked cigarettes, 385 (7%) smoked waterpipe and 98 (1.8%) smoked both; among fathers: 2449 (44.2%) smoked cigarettes, 573 (10.3%) smoked waterpipe and 197 (3.5%) smoked both. Maternal waterpipe smoking was significantly and moderately associated with allergic diseases (p < 0.001; OR a = 1.71), including probable asthma, rhinitis and dermatitis (p < 0.001 for all). Quite on the opposite, father's waterpipe smoking was not associated with any of the diseases. Parental cigarette smoking demonstrated some positive effects: father's cigarette smoking did not show association with dermatitis or asthma diagnosed by a physician, while mother's cigarette smoking showed a positive association only with probable asthma. Moreover, no interactions between cigarette and waterpipe smoking were observed. Conclusions: Maternal waterpipe smoking should be regarded as a high risk behavior; however, additional studies are necessary to confirm this finding.

Diet and asthma in Lebanese schoolchildren: A cross‐sectional study

“…We also found a significant association between the positive family history for allergies and current asthma in children, which is consistent with the results of other studies . Study results examining asthma family risk have been inconclusive with some pointing to a maternal link, others to a paternal link, and others have not found an association between asthma and family history .…”

“…Our study findings showed that males are at a higher risk for current asthma than females, which is similar to what is described in the literature, although the exact mechanisms for sex‐related differences in asthma have not been fully determined.…”

“…We also found a significant association between the positive family history for allergies and current asthma in children, which is consistent with the results of other studies. 41,42 Study results examining asthma family risk have been inconclusive with some pointing to a maternal link, others to a paternal link, and others have not found an association between asthma and family history. 43,44 Nevertheless, our results reinforce previous findings that show an association between father history of asthma and childhood current asthma, that may be genetically or both genetically and environmentally mediated.…”

The Association between Diet and Symptoms of Allergic Diseases in Children Aged from 8 to 12 in Public Schools in Beirut and Mount Lebanon

“…This study showed that male sex, a well-known risk factor in the literature [32], might be associated with an increase in asthma symptoms during the last 12 months (multivariate analysis). Unlike our results, which showed no association, some epidemiological studies suggest that low monthly family income and area of residence were positively associated with rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms [33,34,41]. In addition, our findings are in line with some epidemiological studies on risk factors for allergic diseases, which noted that the history of familial allergy [32] and postnatal respiratory complications [42] might be positively associated with the onset of symptoms of asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis during the past 12 months.…”

“…As for Lebanon, no studies identified the association between dietary factors and allergic diseases in children and particularly public schools students. However, there are published studies on the prevalence and severity of atopic conditions in Lebanon among students of private schools and their risk factors, such as the studies by Waked et al [32][33][34][35]. This study attempts to evaluate the association between dietary factors and the symptoms of allergic diseases in children aged 8 to 12 in public schools in Beirut and Mount Lebanon.…”