HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Permissions Request Permissions Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (5) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Elliott, L. Articles by Loomis, D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Elliott, L. Articles by Loomis, D.

Ecological associations between asthma prevalence and potential exposure to farming

Depts of ¹ Epidemiology and ² Environmental Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

CORRESPONDENCE: L. Elliott, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, MD A2-05, P.O. Box 12233, RTP, NC 27709, USA. Fax: 1 9199676839. E-mail: elliott1@niehs.nih.gov

Keywords: Agriculture, asthma, childhood disease, ecological study, farming, livestock

Received: January 18, 2004
Accepted July 14, 2004

Farming and exposure to livestock have been proposed as protective against the development of asthma in children. An ecological study was conducted to examine the support for these relationships in the USA.

County-specific aggregate measures were used to examine the relationship between the prevalence of asthma and wheeze in 7th and 8th grade school children (aged 12–14 yrs) and selected measures of potential exposure to farming in the state of North Carolina. Binomial regression models were fitted to quantify these relationships, with adjustments for parental smoking, socioeconomic status, sex and race. Regression coefficients were reported for an increment of one interquartile range (IQR) in each indicator of exposure.

The prevalence of asthma showed decreasing trends for most indicators of farm exposure. Regression results suggested that the largest decreases in asthma prevalence were associated with the number of farms (–5.0% per IQR increment), acreage of hay (–7.2% per IQR increment) and beef cattle (–7.8% per IQR increment). The pattern of results was similar for wheezing.

In conclusion, the findings of this study are consistent with the hypothesis that certain farm exposures are protective against childhood asthma. Further research with individual-level data is needed to identify the specific protective exposures.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. C. Mirabelli, S. Wing, S. W. Marshall, and T. C. Wilcosky Asthma Symptoms Among Adolescents Who Attend Public Schools That Are Located Near Confined Swine Feeding Operations Pediatrics, July 1, 2006; 118(1): e66 - e75. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]