Abstract
Aim: To determine whether passive smoking increases the frequnecy of respiratory infections in children.
Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted from 2011 to 2013 at the pediatric clinics of primary healthcare phsysician Dr. Mira Pavlov in the Sucidar area of Split. The study included 203 preschool children who were brought to the pediatric clinic by their parents for a medical examination. The children were divided into two groups: 114 children whose household members smoked, and 89 children whose household members didn't smoke. All the necessary data were obtained by a questionnaire filled out by the parents and access to the electronic medical records.
Results: The difference in the frequencies of bronchitis between the two groups of children bordered on statistical significance (P = 0.052). The number of bronchitis was significantly higher in the group of children whose household members smoked inside the home compared to the group of children whose household members didn't smoke (P = 0.008). The number of cigarettes smoked per day inside the home statistically correlated with the number of bronchitis in children (P = 0.003). Maternal smoking statistically increased the number of pneumonia cases in children compared to paternal smoking (P = 0.001). Children with allergic diseases whose household members smoked didn't have significantly higher number of respiratory infections compared to children with allergic diseases whose household members didn't smoke.
Conclusion: Passive smoking increases the frequency of respiratory infections in children but only if household members smoke inside the home.
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