Exposure to cats and dogs as risk factors for wheezing in preschool children: are their effects modified by removal?
Objective: To define the relationship between current wheezing in preschoolers and exposure to dogs and cats at home, and to find out to what extent their removal modifies the associations. Methods: Previously validated questionnaires were completed by parents of 1784 preschoolers (mean age 4.08±0...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Sociedad Española de Salud Ambiental
2013-06-01
|
| Series: | Revista de Salud Ambiental |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.ojs.diffundit.com/index.php/rsa/article/view/398 |
| _version_ | 1818236293049483264 |
|---|---|
| author | Patricia García Marcos Rosa Pacheco González Manuel Sánchez Solís Luis García Marcos |
| author_facet | Patricia García Marcos Rosa Pacheco González Manuel Sánchez Solís Luis García Marcos |
| author_sort | Patricia García Marcos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Objective: To define the relationship between current wheezing in preschoolers and exposure to dogs and cats at home, and to find out to what extent their removal modifies the associations.
Methods: Previously validated questionnaires were completed by parents of 1784 preschoolers (mean age 4.08±0.8 years). Children were stratified according to the presence (20.0 %) or absence of wheezing in the previous year. Information regarding cat or dog exposure currently and during the first year of life was collected, as well as information about the removal of the pets.
Results: A higher proportion of families owning a cat in the first year of the child’s life, as well as in the previous year, was found in the wheezing group. The proportion of families owning a dog was marginally higher in this group. Cat exposure was shown to be a significant risk factor when present in the first year of the child’s life (Adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] 1.73, 95 % CI 1.04-2.88), and an even higher association was found with current exposure (aOR 2.00, 95 % CI 1.22-3.26). The association was highest (aOR 2.68, 95 % CI 1.32-5.44) among the wheezing group for the subset of families that had removed a cat from the home. Dog exposure did not appear to be a significant risk factor, neither during the first year of life (aOR 1.24, 95 % CI 0.88-1.76) nor with current ownership (aOR 1.04, 95 % CI 0.73-1.50). However, a significant association was found in the group that had removed a dog from the home (aOR 5.88, 95 % CI 2.62-13.17).
Conclusions: Exposure to cat allergens is a risk factor for asthma, when exposure occurs during the first 12 months of life. However, this factor is of limited influence beyond the first year. It is likely that children who are prone to developing an allergy would benefit from control of environmental allergen exposure, including cat avoidance.
|
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T12:07:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b81d089022de4e9d9452d013c10e959e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1577-9572 1697-2791 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T12:07:33Z |
| publishDate | 2013-06-01 |
| publisher | Sociedad Española de Salud Ambiental |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Revista de Salud Ambiental |
| spelling | doaj.art-b81d089022de4e9d9452d013c10e959e2022-12-22T00:24:58ZengSociedad Española de Salud AmbientalRevista de Salud Ambiental1577-95721697-27912013-06-01131Exposure to cats and dogs as risk factors for wheezing in preschool children: are their effects modified by removal?Patricia García MarcosRosa Pacheco GonzálezManuel Sánchez SolísLuis García Marcos0Servicio de Pediatría. Hospital Clínico Universitario “Virgen de la Arrixaca”. Murcia Objective: To define the relationship between current wheezing in preschoolers and exposure to dogs and cats at home, and to find out to what extent their removal modifies the associations. Methods: Previously validated questionnaires were completed by parents of 1784 preschoolers (mean age 4.08±0.8 years). Children were stratified according to the presence (20.0 %) or absence of wheezing in the previous year. Information regarding cat or dog exposure currently and during the first year of life was collected, as well as information about the removal of the pets. Results: A higher proportion of families owning a cat in the first year of the child’s life, as well as in the previous year, was found in the wheezing group. The proportion of families owning a dog was marginally higher in this group. Cat exposure was shown to be a significant risk factor when present in the first year of the child’s life (Adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] 1.73, 95 % CI 1.04-2.88), and an even higher association was found with current exposure (aOR 2.00, 95 % CI 1.22-3.26). The association was highest (aOR 2.68, 95 % CI 1.32-5.44) among the wheezing group for the subset of families that had removed a cat from the home. Dog exposure did not appear to be a significant risk factor, neither during the first year of life (aOR 1.24, 95 % CI 0.88-1.76) nor with current ownership (aOR 1.04, 95 % CI 0.73-1.50). However, a significant association was found in the group that had removed a dog from the home (aOR 5.88, 95 % CI 2.62-13.17). Conclusions: Exposure to cat allergens is a risk factor for asthma, when exposure occurs during the first 12 months of life. However, this factor is of limited influence beyond the first year. It is likely that children who are prone to developing an allergy would benefit from control of environmental allergen exposure, including cat avoidance. https://www.ojs.diffundit.com/index.php/rsa/article/view/398wheezingcatdogpreschool childrenepidemiologyasthma |
| spellingShingle | Patricia García Marcos Rosa Pacheco González Manuel Sánchez Solís Luis García Marcos Exposure to cats and dogs as risk factors for wheezing in preschool children: are their effects modified by removal? Revista de Salud Ambiental wheezing cat dog preschool children epidemiology asthma |
| title | Exposure to cats and dogs as risk factors for wheezing in preschool children: are their effects modified by removal? |
| title_full | Exposure to cats and dogs as risk factors for wheezing in preschool children: are their effects modified by removal? |
| title_fullStr | Exposure to cats and dogs as risk factors for wheezing in preschool children: are their effects modified by removal? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exposure to cats and dogs as risk factors for wheezing in preschool children: are their effects modified by removal? |
| title_short | Exposure to cats and dogs as risk factors for wheezing in preschool children: are their effects modified by removal? |
| title_sort | exposure to cats and dogs as risk factors for wheezing in preschool children are their effects modified by removal |
| topic | wheezing cat dog preschool children epidemiology asthma |
| url | https://www.ojs.diffundit.com/index.php/rsa/article/view/398 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT patriciagarciamarcos exposuretocatsanddogsasriskfactorsforwheezinginpreschoolchildrenaretheireffectsmodifiedbyremoval AT rosapachecogonzalez exposuretocatsanddogsasriskfactorsforwheezinginpreschoolchildrenaretheireffectsmodifiedbyremoval AT manuelsanchezsolis exposuretocatsanddogsasriskfactorsforwheezinginpreschoolchildrenaretheireffectsmodifiedbyremoval AT luisgarciamarcos exposuretocatsanddogsasriskfactorsforwheezinginpreschoolchildrenaretheireffectsmodifiedbyremoval |