Objective: To investigate the association between environmental tobacco smoke( ETS) and blood pressure in children.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to study the effects of ETS and children's blood pressure among 1623 children aged 5 to 17 years, who were selected randomly from 10 primary and secondary schools in Shenyang from 2012-2013, Liaoning Province. The basic information of children was collected through questionnaires, including demographic characteristics, living environment, history of disease and passive smoking status. We also measured the height, weight and blood pressure of these children. Multiple Logistic regression analyses were used to determine whether ETS was associated with the risk of hypertension after adjustment for potential confounders.
Results: Nearly half of the participants( 37%, n = 600) had current ETS exposures, and in for 34% of the children( n = 514), their current ETS exposure was from tobacco use by their father. The adjusted odds ratios( a OR) for hypertension and ETS exposure in utero were 1. 59( 95% CI 1. 02-2. 48) in males and 2. 88( 95% CI 1. 82-4. 56) in females. Current ETS exposure( a OR = 2. 22, 95% CI 1. 47-3. 34) and current ETS exposure from the child's father( a OR = 2. 20, 95% CI 1. 46-3. 31), in addition different intensity of ETS exposure during workdays and during days off were associated with a higher rate of hypertension only in females.
Conclusion: Prenatal and postnatal ETS exposure was significantly associated with increased odds of hypertension in children, especially in females.
Keywords: children; hypertension; passive smoking.