Dataset Information

Associations between respiratory illnesses and secondhand smoke exposure in flight attendants: A cross-sectional analysis of the Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute Survey.

ABSTRACT: ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) is associated with increased risk of respiratory illness, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Prior to smoking bans on airlines in the late 1980s, flight attendants were exposed to a significant amount of SHS. In the present study, we examine associations between flight attendant SHS exposure and development of respiratory illnesses and cardiovascular disease. METHODS: Between December 2006 and October 2010, three hundred sixty-two flight attendants completed an online questionnaire with information regarding experience as a flight attendant, medical history, smoking history, and SHS exposure. Rates of illnesses in flight attendants were compared with an age and smoking history matched population sample from NHANES 2005-2006. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association of reported medical conditions and pre-ban years of exposure. RESULTS: Compared with the sample from NHANES 2005-2006, flight attendants had increased prevalence of chronic bronchitis (11.7% vs. 7.2%, p < 0.05), emphysema/COPD (3.2% vs. 0.9%, p < 0.03), and sinus problems (31.5% vs. 20.9%, p < 0.002), despite a lower prevalence of medical illnesses including high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, heart failure, cancer, and thyroid disease. Amongst flight attendants who reported never smoking over their lifetimes, there was not a significant association between years of service as a flight attendant in the pre-smoking ban era and illnesses. However, in this same group, there was a significantly increased risk of daily symptoms (vs. no symptoms) of nasal congestion, throat, or eye irritation per 10-year increase of years of service as a flight attendant prior to the smoking ban (OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.41 - 3.24). CONCLUSIONS: Flight attendants experience increased rates of respiratory illnesses compared to a population sample. The frequency of symptoms of nasal congestion, throat or eye irritation is associated with occupational SHS exposure in the pre-smoking ban era.

SUBMITTER: Beatty AL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3190330 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Associations between respiratory illnesses and secondhand smoke exposure in flight attendants: A cross-sectional analysis of the Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute Survey.

Beatty Alexis L AL Haight Thaddeus J TJ Redberg Rita F RF

Environmental health : a global access science source 20110924 1

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) is associated with increased risk of respiratory illness, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Prior to smoking bans on airlines in the late 1980s, flight attendants were exposed to a significant amount of SHS. In the present study, we examine associations between flight attendant SHS exposure and development of respiratory illnesses and cardiovascular disease. METHODS: Between December 2006 and October 2010, three hundred sixty-two flight att ...[more]

PMID: 21943016

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Project description:Background and objectivesActive smoking is associated with higher risk of various diseases. However, the risk of CKD development in nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke is not well elucidated. We aimed to investigate the association between secondhand smoke exposure and the risk of CKD development among never-smokers.Design, setting, participants, & measurementsA total of 131,196 never-smokers with normal kidney function, who participated in the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study from 2001 to 2014, were analyzed. The participants were classified into three groups on the basis of frequency of secondhand smoke exposure, assessed with survey questionnaires; no exposure, <3 days per week, and ≥3 days per week. The association between secondhand smoke and CKD, defined as eGFR<60 ml/min per 1.73 m2, was examined in the cross-sectional analysis. In addition, the risk of incident CKD development was analyzed in a longitudinal cohort of 1948 participants without CKD at baseline, which was a subset of the main cohort.ResultsThe mean age of participants was 53 years, and 75% were women. Prevalent CKD was observed in 231 (1.8%), 64 (1.7%), and 2280 (2.0%) participants in the ≥3 days per week, <3 days per week, and no exposure groups. The odds ratio (OR) of prevalent CKD was significantly higher in the groups exposed to secondhand smoke than the no exposure group (<3 days per week: OR, 1.72; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.30 to 2.27; and ≥3 days per week: OR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.22 to 1.70). During a mean follow-up of 104 months, CKD occurred in 319 (16%) participants. Multivariable Cox analysis revealed that the risk for CKD development was higher in participants exposed to secondhand smoke than the no exposure group (<3 days per week: hazard ratio, 1.59; 95% CI, 0.96 to 2.65; and ≥3 days per week: hazard ratio, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.03 to 2.67).ConclusionsExposure to secondhand smoke was associated with a higher prevalence of CKD as well as development of incident CKD.

Project description:Introduction:Cigarette smoking is inversely associated with DNA methylation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor repressor (AHRR; cg05575921). However, the association between secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) exposure and AHRR methylation is unknown. Methods:DNA methylation of AHRR cg05575921 in CD14+ monocyte samples, from 495 never-smokers and 411 former smokers (having quit smoking ?15 years) from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), was cross-sectionally compared with concomitantly ascertained self-reported SHS exposure, urine cotinine concentrations, and estimates of air pollutants at participants' homes. Linear regression was used to test for associations, and covariates included age, sex, race, education, study site, and previous smoking exposure (smoking status, time since quitting, and pack-years). Results:Recent indoor SHS exposure (hours per week) was inversely associated with cg05575921 methylation (? ± SE = -0.009 ± 0.003, p = .007). The inverse effect direction was consistent (but did not reach significance) in the majority of stratified analyses (by smoking status, sex, and race). Categorical analysis revealed high levels of recent SHS exposure (?10 hours per week) inversely associated with cg05575921 methylation (? ± SE = -0.28 ± 0.09, p = .003), which remained significant (p < .05) in the majority of stratified analyses. cg05575921 methylation did not significantly (p < .05) associate with low to moderate levels of recent SHS exposure (1-9 hours per week), urine cotinine concentrations, years spent living with people smoking, years spent indoors (not at home) with people smoking, or estimated levels of air pollutants. Conclusions:High levels of recent indoor SHS exposure may be inversely associated with DNA methylation of AHRR in human monocytes. Implications:DNA methylation is a biochemical alteration that can occur in response to cigarette smoking; however, little is known about the effect of SHS on human DNA methylation. In the present study, we evaluated the association between SHS exposure and DNA methylation in human monocytes, at a site (AHRR cg05575921) known to have methylation inversely associated with current and former cigarette smoking compared to never smoking. Results from this study suggest high levels of recent SHS exposure inversely associate with DNA methylation of AHRR cg05575921 in monocytes from nonsmokers, albeit with weaker effects than active cigarette smoking.

Dataset Information

Associations between respiratory illnesses and secondhand smoke exposure in flight attendants: A cross-sectional analysis of the Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute Survey.

Publications

Associations between respiratory illnesses and secondhand smoke exposure in flight attendants: A cross-sectional analysis of the Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute Survey.

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