Abstract
BackgroundIn Norway, data on the association between second-hand tobacco smoke (SHS) exposure at home and respiratory symptoms in adults are limited.MethodsWe assessed the association between self-reported exposure to SHS and the prevalence of respiratory symptoms among never-smokers aged 16 to 50 years from the general population who were included in a cross-sectional population-based study in Telemark County, Norway. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratios of symptoms among 8850 never-smokers who provided an affirmative response to questions regarding SHS; 504 (5.7%) of these reported that they lived in a home with daily or occasional indoor smoking.ResultsProductive cough and nocturnal dyspnoea were statistically associated with daily SHS exposure (ORs 1.5 [95% CI 1.04–2.0] and 1.8 [1.2–2.7], respectively). In analyses stratified by gender, nocturnal dyspnoea was associated with SHS among women (OR 1.8 [1.1–3.1]), but not among men (OR 0.93 [0.49–1.8]). Symptoms were not associated with occasional SHS exposure in the entire group, but infrequent exposure among men only was associated with increased prevalence of chronic cough; (OR 1.6; [1.04–2.6]) and was negatively associated with wheeze; (OR 0.44 [0.21–0.92)].ConclusionsDaily SHS exposure in private homes was associated with productive cough and nocturnal dyspnoea. Our results suggest that preventive measures may be needed to reduce the respiratory effects of SHS at home.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02073708 Registered February 27. 2014.
Highlights
In Norway, data on the association between second-hand tobacco smoke (SHS) exposure at home and respiratory symptoms in adults are limited
We aimed to investigate the association between SHS exposure in private homes and respiratory symptoms in a sample of never-smoking adults from the general population in Telemark County, Norway, 10 years after its introduction of a smoking ban in public places
Dyspnoea with wheeze, wheezing without a cold, and nocturnal chest tightness were reported by 10–12% of respondents; night-time cough was approximately twice as common, being reported by 21% of respondents
Summary
In Norway, data on the association between second-hand tobacco smoke (SHS) exposure at home and respiratory symptoms in adults are limited. Exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke (SHS) is an established risk factor for non-malignant respiratory disease, especially among children, and for cancer in adults [1,2,3,4]. The only Norwegian study included in that review was a study using a birth record registry. It reported fewer low birth weight and pre-term births in mothers who worked in bars and restaurants after enactment of the legislation
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