Childhood atopic diseases and early life circumstances: an ecological study in Cuba

Children are especially vulnerable during periods of resource shortage such as economic embargoes. They are likely to suffer most from poor nutrition, infectious diseases, and other ensuing short-term threats. Moreover, early life circumstances can have important consequences for long-term health. W...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2012-06, Vol.7 (6), p.e39892-e39892
Main Authors: van der Werff, Suzanne D, Polman, Katja, Ponce, Maiza Campos, Twisk, Jos W R, Junco Díaz, Raquel, Gorbea, Mariano Bonet, Van der Stuyft, Patrick
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Allergies
Analysis
Asthma
Asthma - epidemiology
Atopic dermatitis
Body mass index
Child
Child, Preschool
Childhood asthma
Children
Children & youth
Chronic illnesses
Communicable diseases
Conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis, Allergic - epidemiology
Cuba - epidemiology
Dermatitis
Dermatitis, Atopic - epidemiology
Development and progression
Disease
Ecological monitoring
Ecological studies
Economics
Eczema
Elementary school students
Environment
Epidemiology
Exposure
Famine
Female
Food
GDP
Gross Domestic Product
Health sciences
Humans
Hygiene
Hypotheses
Infections
Infectious diseases
Male
Malnutrition
Medical research
Medicine
Mortality
Municipalities
Nematodes
Nutrition
Nutrition research
Odds Ratio
Pathogenesis
Public health
Regression analysis
Regression models
Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial - epidemiology
Rhinoconjunctivitis
Sanctions (International law)
Socioeconomic Factors
Undernutrition
Young adults
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Summary:Children are especially vulnerable during periods of resource shortage such as economic embargoes. They are likely to suffer most from poor nutrition, infectious diseases, and other ensuing short-term threats. Moreover, early life circumstances can have important consequences for long-term health. We examined the relationship between early childhood exposure to the Cuban economic situation in the nineties and the occurrence of atopic diseases later in childhood. A cross-sectional study of 1321 primary schoolchildren aged 4-14 was conducted in two Cuban municipalities. Asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and atopic dermatitis were diagnosed using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire. Children were divided into three groups of exposure to the economic situation in the nineties according to birth date: (1) unexposed; (2) exposed during infancy; (3) exposed during infancy and early childhood. Associations were assessed using multiple logistic regression models. Exposure during infancy had a significant inverse association with the occurrence of asthma (OR 0.56, 95%CI 0.33-0.94) and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (OR 0.46, 95%CI 0.25-0.85). The associations were stronger after longer exposure, i.e. during infancy and early childhood, for asthma (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.17-0.95) and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (OR 0.29, 95%CI 0.11-0.77). No significant associations were found for atopic dermatitis. Exposure to the economic situation in the nineties during infancy and early childhood was inversely associated with asthma and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis occurrence later in childhood. We hypothesize that factors related to this period, such as infectious diseases and undernutrition, may have an attenuating effect on atopic disease development. The exact cause and underlying mechanisms need to be further elucidated.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0039892