Human & Experimental Toxicology

 

Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Click here for free access to the SAGE eReference platform!

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Lam, T H
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Lam, T H
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
Human & Experimental Toxicology, Vol. 18, No. 4, 218-223 (1999)
DOI: 10.1191/096032799678839941

Passive smoking and respiratory symptoms in primary school children in Hong Kong

T H Lam

Department of Community Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, China; Department of Community Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Patrick Manson Building South Wing, 7 Sassoon Road, Hong Kong, China

A J Hedley

S F Chung

Department of Community Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, China

D J Macfarlane

Physical Education and Sports Science Unit, The University of Hong Kong, China

Child Health and Activity Research Group (CHARG)

  1. 1 We aimed to study whether passive smoking is associated with respiratory ill health in primary school children in Hong Kong.
  2. 2 In this cross-sectional study, a standardised structured questionnaire was used to obtain information on respiratory symptoms, smokers in the household and smoking habit of the children. A random sample of 30 primary schools was included. Four classes were randomly selected for each school, one class each from each school year of primary 3-6. A total of 3964 children aged 8-13 years completed the questionnaire during October 1995-May 1996. The response rate was over 94%.
  3. 3 In 3480 children who had never smoked, after adjusting for gender, age, place of birth and living district, the odds ratios (95% confidence interval) were: (a) throat problems, 1.35 (1.08-1.68); (b) cough, 1.54 (1.28-1.84); (c) phlegm, 1.43 (1.21-1.70); (d) wheezing, 1.21 (0.89-1.41); (e) nose problems, 1.17 (1.02-1.35). The odds ratios increased with increasing number of smokers at home (P for trend < 0.001; except for wheezing, P=0.3). The odds ratios for having any of the above symptoms for one, two and three smokers at home were respectively 1.15 (0.99-1.34), 1.48 (1.16-1.88) and 2.03 (1.47-2.81); P for trend < 0.001.
  4. 4 We conclude that the results provide further evidence that passive smoking is a cause of respiratory ill health in school children in Hong Kong.

Key Words: passive smoking • smoking • children • respiratory symptoms


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Int J EpidemiolHome page
P. G Coen, J. Tully, J. M Stuart, D. Ashby, R. M Viner, and R. Booy
Is it exposure to cigarette smoke or to smokers which increases the risk of meningococcal disease in teenagers?
Int. J. Epidemiol., April 1, 2006; 35(2): 330 - 336.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Hum Exp ToxicolHome page
E. Nelson
The miseries of passive smoiong
Human and Experimental Toxicology, February 1, 2001; 20(2): 61 - 83.
[Abstract] [PDF]