Merchant JA, Naleway AL, Svendsen ER, Kelly KM, Burmeister LF, Stromquist AM, Taylor CD, Thorne PS, Reynolds SJ, Sanderson WT, Chrischilles EA. 2005. Asthma and Farm Exposures in a Cohort of Rural Iowa Children. Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP), 113 (3): 350-356.
This was an epidemiological study (prospective cohort design) of rural Iowa children and four asthma outcomes: doctor-diagnosed (Dx) asthma; doctor-Dx asthma and medication for wheeze; current wheeze; cough with exercise. Overall, about 1 in 8 study children had doctor-Dx asthma.
Among the statistically significant findings, which together suggested the need for more research on gene-environment interactions in rural settings:
* Children born on a farm were less likely to have diagnosed allergies as well as current or ever household exposure to tobacco smoke;
* Chldren born on a farm were more likely to have cats (that is, be potentially exposed to cat allergens, an environmental asthma trigger), have pesticides applied outside their home in the past year, and raise swine (pigs) and/or other livestock plus add antibiotics to the feed;
* Doctor-Dx asthma and medications for wheeze were more prevalent among children on farms raising swine (pigs) and/or other livestock plus adding antibiotics to the feed;
* Cough with exercise was more prevalent among children with dogs (that is, potentially exposed to dog allergens, an environmental asthma trigger);
* In models with multiple variables, the most important predictors of the four asthma-related outcomes included being male, diagnosis of allergies, and premature birth.
To read the abstract to this article, please go to:
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2004/7240/abstract.html
NOTE: If your organization has on-line membership access, you can download the full paper from this website page as well. |
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