Pet ownership in utero and in childhood decreases the effects of environmental tobacco smoke exposure on hypertension in children: A large population based cohort study

Shu-Li Xu; Ai-Ping Liu; Qi-Zhen Wu; Tia Marks; Zhi-Zhou He; Zhengmin Qian; Stephen Edward McMillin; Jia Sun; Allison A Appleton; Michael S Bloom; Shao Lin; Hong-Yao Yu; Yang Zhou; Ru-Qing Liu; Dan Feng; Li-Wen Hu; Bo-Yi Yang; Xiao-Wen Zeng; Xiao Sun; Guang-Hui Dong

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.136859

Pet ownership in utero and in childhood decreases the effects of environmental tobacco smoke exposure on hypertension in children: A large population based cohort study

Sci Total Environ. 2020 May 1:715:136859. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.136859. Epub 2020 Jan 22.

Authors

Shu-Li Xu¹, Ai-Ping Liu², Qi-Zhen Wu¹, Tia Marks³, Zhi-Zhou He¹, Zhengmin Qian⁴, Stephen Edward McMillin⁵, Jia Sun⁴, Allison A Appleton⁶, Michael S Bloom⁷, Shao Lin⁸, Hong-Yao Yu¹, Yang Zhou¹, Ru-Qing Liu¹, Dan Feng¹, Li-Wen Hu¹, Bo-Yi Yang¹, Xiao-Wen Zeng¹, Xiao Sun⁹, Guang-Hui Dong¹⁰

Affiliations

¹ Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
² Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shiyan Prevention and Health Care Center of Baoan, Shenzhen 518101, China.
³ Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA.
⁴ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College for Public Health & Social Justice, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO 63104, USA.
⁵ School of Social Work, College for Public Health & Social Justice, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO 63104, USA.
⁶ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA.
⁷ Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA.
⁸ School of Social Work, College for Public Health & Social Justice, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO 63104, USA; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA.
⁹ Department of Internal Medicine, Shenyang Women's and Children's Hospital, Shenyang 110011, China. Electronic address: sunxiao-124@163.com.
¹⁰ Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China. Electronic address: donggh5@mail.sysu.edu.cn.

PMID: 32014767
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.136859

Abstract

Background: Little is known about whether exposure to pets influences the association between hypertension and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). The current study aims to examine the interaction of pet ownership on ETS exposure and the development of hypertension in children.

Methods: From 2012 to 2013, a total of 9354 children, 5 to 17 years of age, were recruited from 62 schools in seven northeastern cities. BP in children was measured and hypertension was defined as an average diastolic blood pressure (DBP) or systolic blood pressure (SBP) at or above the 95th percentile for that child's age, sex, and height. Pet ownership in three different time periods (in utero, past 2 years, and currently) and ETS exposure data were collected from parents via a questionnaire. Two-level regressions were used for the data analyses.

Results: The data show consistent, significant interactions between exposure to pets and effects from ETS. Children who were not exposed to pets experienced stronger effects from ETS on hypertension when compared to those exposed to pets, and the protective effect of pet ownership became stronger with a greater number of pets in the home. Exposure to in utero ETS was associated with hypertension [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.32, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.13-1.54] only for those children without pet exposure in utero but not for those with pets (aOR = 0.75; 95% CI: 0.49-1.15) (p_interaction < 0.05). Moreover, household dog ownership was related to significantly lower effects of current ETS on hypertension (aOR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.61-1.05) compared with children without dogs (aOR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.11-1.44) (p_interaction = 0.001). Interaction associations between ETS and pet ownership were more robust for girls than for boys and for younger than older children.

Conclusion: This study indicates an inverse relationship between pet ownership and ETS, potentially pointing to pet ownership as protecting against the development of hypertension in children.

Keywords: Children; Environmental tobacco smoke; Hypertension; Interaction; Pet ownership.

MeSH terms

Animals
Child
Cities
Cohort Studies
Dogs
Environmental Exposure
Female
Humans
Hypertension*
Male
Ownership
Pets
Tobacco Smoke Pollution*

Substances

Tobacco Smoke Pollution