Maternal smoking location at home and hospitalization for respiratory tract infections among children in Japan

ABSTRACT

We examined the effects of maternal smoking location at home on hospitalization for respiratory tract infections among young children in Japan. We used the large nationwide population-based longitudinal survey and restricted study participants to children born after 37 gestational weeks and singleton births (n = 43,851). We evaluated the associations among children between the ages of 6 and 18 months and between the ages of 18 and 30 months, respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, both maternal outdoor and indoor smoking were associated with the elevated risk. The adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of maternal outdoor and indoor smoking (vs nonsmoking mothers) were 1.21 (1.01–1.44) and 1.18 (1.04–1.33), respectively, in children between the ages of 6 and 18 months. We thus encourage a smoke-free home policy to protect children from second- and third-hand smoke exposure.

KEYWORDS:

• Children
• epidemiology
• respiratory diseases
• tobacco

Acknowledgment

We appreciate the valuable support from Ms. Saori Irie. She has no conflict of interest to disclose. This study was approved by the Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences Institutional Review Board (No. 881).