ets exposure, lung cancer - Legacy Tobacco Documents Library

Among the potential confounders that have not been consistently~
considered in the relevant lung cancer - spousal smoking studieff
are the following : 1) occupational exposures of the subject ; 2)
other exposures of the subject (e .g ., organic solvents) ; 3)
alcohol consumption ; 4) diet and nutrition ; 5) cooking pr.actice ;
6) lifestyle ; 7) socioeconomic status and related issues (e .g .,
quality of medical care, quality of outdoor air around
residence) ; 8) genetic factors ; 9) animal exposures ; and lo)
radiation exposure (e,g ., household radon) . Such factors could
have a very significant inipact on the occurrence rate of lung ~
cancer, acting alone or in combination, and, thus, if not
controlled or adjusted for, can result in an apparent associatic,n
between spousal smoking and lung cancer when, in fact, there is
no real association .
F9'Sard the RespiratorrL System of Children
i
Epidemiologic studies of the association between ETS %
exposure and the incidence of respiratory illness in children
have been examined in two age groups, namely, pre-school childr n
(those under 5 years of age) and older children (5 y-ears of age
or older) . In excess of 40 such'studies have been conducted ini
each of these age groups . Parental (usually maternal) smoking ,
has usually been the surrogate for ETS exposure in these studies .
g`Pn s ~ c
~r .
i;ost studies in pre-school children have shown a generally ;
weak but consistent association between maternal .smoking an `d
increased incidence of respiratory symptoms and/or certain acutY
respiratory illnesses in children . t•ihile such an association ~
could be due to the effects of ETS exposure, other factor is
related to maternal smoking but distinct from ETS could explain :
this relationship . Among these are in utero effects of active
smoking during pregnancy and the effects of maternal smoking on,
lactation during nursing, both of which have been addressed in i
relatively few of the relevant studies, i= at all . in addition ;
these studies have failed to adequately consider a variety o (f
confounding variables, alone or in co-mbination . P_:uong these ar~
socio2conc,,ic status, gas stove usage, family health history I,
subject's health history, breast feeding, use of day care, ~
nutritional status of the subject, quality of housing, indoor aT1d
outdoor air pollution, and fanily size . I
In contrast to the studies in children under 5 ye,aj~~F, of ag
studies in children 5 years of age or older have failed to
cqnsistently .demonstrate an association between parcnt~l ;$7okinp
and rzspiratory he'i1'tli -effects'in cliildren . Forty-fii~e'studies~
in this age group indic : te that an association between matnrj ;all
sne :,:ing and a specific respiratory symptom (cough, phlegn) or ~
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