Relationship between cotinine levels, household and personal smoking habit and season in 9-14 year old children

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship of salivary cotinine levels with individual and household smoking habits and with the season in a sample (n = 146) of Italian schoolchildren aged 9-14 yrs. Active smoking and environmental tobacco smoke were measured by means of a confidential standardized interview with each participating child and by a self-reported questionnaire administered to the parents. Saliva samples were obtained twice: during winter from all children and during spring from a randomly selected subgroup. "Active smokers" were significantly more likely to be males and to live with smoking family members. Frequency of detectable cotinine both in "nonsmokers" and "active smokers" was significantly correlated with the number of cigarettes smoked by household members. However, for any level of smoking by parents detectable cotinine was more likely to be found in "active smokers" than in "nonsmokers". In "nonsmokers", the proportion of subjects with detectable cotinine decreased significantly in spring compared to winter, a finding not observed in "active smokers". In conclusion, we have demonstrated that passive smoking produces most effect in winter, and is linked to the amount and style of the parents' smoking, mainly related to smoking in presence of children. Conversely, salivary cotinine detected in spring appears to be derived mainly from active smoking.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. S. Halterman, B. Borrelli, P. Tremblay, K. M. Conn, M. Fagnano, G. Montes, and T. Hernandez Screening for Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure Among Inner-City Children With Asthma Pediatrics, December 1, 2008; 122(6): 1277 - 1283. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. D. Gilliland, K. Berhane, T. Islam, M. Wenten, E. Rappaport, E. Avol, W. J. Gauderman, R. McConnell, and J. M. Peters Environmental Tobacco Smoke and Absenteeism Related to Respiratory Illness in Schoolchildren Am. J. Epidemiol., May 15, 2003; 157(10): 861 - 869. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. D. Gilliland, K. Berhane, Y.-F. Li, E. B. Rappaport, and J. M. Peters Effects of Early Onset Asthma and In Utero Exposure to Maternal Smoking on Childhood Lung Function Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., March 15, 2003; 167(6): 917 - 924. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. A. Aligne, M. E. Moss, P. Auinger, and M. Weitzman Association of Pediatric Dental Caries With Passive Smoking JAMA, March 12, 2003; 289(10): 1258 - 1264. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. Fidler and T. W Lambert A prescription for health: a primary care based intervention to maintain the non-smoking status of young people Tob. Control, March 1, 2001; 10(1): 23 - 26. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				Y.-F. LI, F. D. GILLILAND, K. BERHANE, R. MCCONNELL, W. JAMES GAUDERMAN, E. B. RAPPAPORT, and J. M. PETERS Effects of In Utero and Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure on Lung Function in Boys and Girls with and without Asthma Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., December 1, 2000; 162(6): 2097 - 2104. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				I Cok and R Ozturk Urinary cotinine levels of smokeless tobacco (MaraE powder) users1 Human and Experimental Toxicology, November 1, 2000; 19(11): 650 - 655. [Abstract] [PDF]

				F. D Gilliland, K. Berhane, R. McConnell, W J. Gauderman, H. Vora, E. B Rappaport, E. Avol, and J. M Peters Maternal smoking during pregnancy, environmental tobacco smoke exposure and childhood lung function Thorax, April 1, 2000; 55(4): 271 - 276. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				K. E. Lund, A. Skrondal, H. Vertio, and A. R Helgason To what extent do parents strive to protect their children from environmental tobacco smoke in the Nordic countries? A population-based study Tob. Control, March 1, 1998; 7(1): 56 - 60. [Abstract] [Full Text]