A tobacco-related carcinogen: assessing the impact of smoking behaviours of cohabitants on benzene exposure in children
| Autor: | Maurizio Guidotti, Paola Manini, Matteo Vitali, Roberta Andreoli, Carmela Protano |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2011 |
| Předmět: |
Male
Health (social science) Passive smoking Cross-sectional study Psychological intervention Rural Health medicine.disease_cause complex mixtures Nicotine chemistry.chemical_compound Environmental health Humans Medicine Child Family Health business.industry Rural health Smoking Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health Benzene Environmental Exposure Environmental exposure Cross-Sectional Studies Health promotion Italy chemistry Air Pollution Indoor Child Preschool Epidemiological Monitoring Carcinogens Female Tobacco Smoke Pollution business Cotinine Environmental Monitoring medicine.drug |
| Zdroj: | Tobacco Control. 21:325-329 |
| ISSN: | 1468-3318 0964-4563 |
| Popis: | Secondhand smoke (SHS) represents a major preventable cause of morbidity for communities, especially for children, who are more susceptible than adults to the adverse effects of passive smoking. SHS contains several carcinogens, including benzene.To investigate the role of household characteristics and the smoking behaviours of cohabitants in predicting SHS-derived benzene exposure levels. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 122 children (aged 5-11 years old) were selected from a school in rural Italy. Characteristics of their home environment and the smoking habits of the children's cohabitants were obtained via questionnaire, and urinary unmodified benzene (u-UB) and cotinine (a specific nicotine metabolite) levels were determined from spot urine samples.Significant differences between SHS-exposed and SHS-unexposed children were found with respect to u-UB levels (median values 359.50 and 92.50 ng/litre, respectively; p0.001). The excretion of u-UB increased significantly in parallel to increased SHS exposure as follows: unexposed to SHS (median value 92.50 ng/litre)cohabitant(s) smoker(s) not smoking inside the home (282.00 ng/litre)cohabitant(s) smoking inside the home only when children are out (314.50 ng/litre)cohabitant(s) smoking inside the home even when children are in (596.00 ng/litre). The difference between groups was significant (p=0.019).Although smoke-free legislation has transformed the smoking behaviours of some, domestic environments remain an important source of SHS exposure for children. This fact holds true even in the case of parents and other cohabitants who believe they are fully protecting children by smoking only outdoors or at home only when the children are not present. These findings should be included in Italian community-level health promotion interventions for discouraging tobacco use. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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