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Biomarkers of passive smoking among Greek preschool children

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European Journal of Pediatrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Greece has the highest adult smoking prevalence in the European Union, affecting not only those who smoke but also threatening the health of those who are involuntarily exposed to passive smoke, especially young Greek children.

Objective

The aim of this study was to quantify passive smoking biomarkers (serum nicotine and cotinine levels) among preschool children in Crete in relation to parental smoking habits.

Methods

All children enrolled in kindergarten in western Crete (1,757 preschool children and 2,809 parents) were interviewed during the 2004–2005 Cretan health promotion programme out of which a sample of 81 children was randomly selected according to parental smoking status and blood samples for cotinine and nicotine assay were taken.

Results

The geometric means of serum nicotine values in children with both parents current smokers and in those with both parents non-smokers were 0.71 ng/ml (95%CI 0.62, 0.80) and 0.59 ng/ml (95%CI 0.49, 0.69), respectively, (p=0.073). Cotinine geometric mean values were found at 1.69 ng/ml (95%CI 0.93, 3.06) and 0.15 ng/ml (95%CI 0.09, 0.28), respectively, (p<0.001). Girls with smoker parents had also greater cotinine geometric mean values than boys (3.35 versus 0.85 ng/ml, respectively, p=0.018).

Conclusion

Our findings prove that Greek preschool children, especially young girls, are exposed to substantial levels of passive smoke which therefore stresses the need for immediate action so as to prevent the predisposition and early addiction of Greek preschool children to tobacco.

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Abbreviations

ETS:

Environmental tobacco smoke

CI:

Confidence interval

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the prefecture and municipality of Chania for their funding. We would also like to express our gratitude to the Chania General Hospital & Pediatric Clinic, the Medical-Social Center and the office of primary education of the prefecture of Chania. Finally, we would like to thank the Preventive Medicine and Nutrition Clinic of the University of Crete for their help and support.

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Correspondence to Constantine I. Vardavas.

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Vardavas, C.I., Tzatzarakis, M.N., Tsatsakis, A.M. et al. Biomarkers of passive smoking among Greek preschool children. Eur J Pediatr 165, 891–896 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-006-0196-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-006-0196-y

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