Bidirectionality in the Relationship Between Asthma and Smoking in Adolescents: A Population-Based Cohort Study

Abstract Purpose Several cross-sectional studies have showed higher smoking rates among adolescents with asthma, but hardly any study has investigated this relation longitudinally. This study examines whether these cross-sectional results are caused by higher smoking onset among adolescents with ast...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of adolescent health 2007-11, Vol.41 (5), p.444-454
Main Authors: Van De Ven, Monique O.M., M.Sc, Engels, Rutger C.M.E., Ph.D, Kerstjens, Huib A.M., Ph.D, Van Den Eijnden, Regina J.J.M., Ph.D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Addictive behaviors
Adolescent
Adolescents
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Asthma
Asthma - classification
Asthma - complications
Asthma - etiology
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma
Cohort studies
Family
Female
Humans
Incidence
Logistic Models
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Medical sciences
Netherlands - epidemiology
Pediatrics
Pneumology
Population Surveillance - methods
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Severity of Illness Index
Smoking
Smoking - adverse effects
Smoking - epidemiology
Surveys and Questionnaires
Tobacco Smoke Pollution - adverse effects
Tobacco smoking
Tobacco, tobacco smoking
Toxicology
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract Purpose Several cross-sectional studies have showed higher smoking rates among adolescents with asthma, but hardly any study has investigated this relation longitudinally. This study examines whether these cross-sectional results are caused by higher smoking onset among adolescents with asthma, or by the development of asthma after smoking onset. Methods This was a longitudinal study (22 months) among 7,426 Dutch adolescents (mean age at baseline = 12.9 years). Asthma was assessed with self-report questionnaires of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) and the student questionnaire of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Adolescents’ smoking and parental smoking were also assessed by adolescent-report. All analyses were controlled for age, gender, education, ethnicity, and parental smoking. Results In baseline non-smokers, adolescents with current diagnosed asthma and with more severe asthma had an increased risk to become regular smokers. Among girls and adolescents with a smoking mother, having asthma symptoms was a risk factor for starting experimental smoking. In contrast, among boys and adolescents with a non-smoking mother, having asthma symptoms was protective for experimental smoking. With regard to the effect of smoking on asthma, adolescent smoking predicted a higher incidence of asthma symptoms. In addition, smoking predicted increased symptom severity scores, and this effect was stronger in girls. Adolescent smoking was a stronger predictor for the development of asthma symptoms when the mother smoked. Conclusions The relationship between asthma and smoking in adolescence seems to be bidirectional, with relations in both directions being stronger in females and when the mother smokes.
ISSN:1054-139X
1879-1972
DOI:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.05.015