Passive smoking, air pollution, and acute respiratory symptoms in a diary study of student nurses

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990 · American Review of Respiratory Disease (New York); (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1164/ajrccm/141.1.62· OSTI ID:7169613

Schwartz, J; Zeger, S ^[1]

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1. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (USA)

A cohort of approximately 100 student nurses in Los Angeles was recruited for a diary study of the acute effects of air pollution. Smoking histories and presence of asthma and other allergies were determined by questionnaire. Diaries were completed daily and collected weekly for as long as 3 yr. Air pollution was measured at a monitoring location within 2.5 miles of the school. Incidence and duration of a symptom were modeled separately. Pack-years of cigarettes were predictive of the number of episodes of coughing (p less than 0.0001) and of bringing up phlegm (p less than 0.0001). Current smoking, rather than cumulative smoking, was a better predictor of the duration of a phlegm episode (p less than 0.0001). Controlling for personal smoking, a smoking roommate increased the risk of an episode of phlegm (odds ratio (OR) = 1.41, p less than 0.001), but not of cough. Excluding asthmatics (who may be medicated), increased the odds ratio for passive smoking to 1.76 (p less than 0.0001). In logistic regression models controlling for temperature and serial correlation between days, an increase of 1 SD in carbon monoxide exposure (6.5 ppm) was associated with increased risk of headache (OR = 1.09, p less than 0.001), photochemical oxidants (7.4 pphm) were associated with increased risk of chest discomfort (OR = 1.17, p less than 0.001) and eye irritation (OR = 1.20 p less than 0.001), and nitrogen dioxide (9.1 pphm) was associated with increased risk of phlegm (OR = 1.08 p less than 0.01), sore throats (OR = 1.26, p less than 0.001), and eye irritation (OR = 1.16, p less than 0.001).

• OSTI ID: 7169613
• Journal Information: American Review of Respiratory Disease (New York); (USA), Journal Name: American Review of Respiratory Disease (New York); (USA) Vol. 141:1; ISSN ARDSB; ISSN 0003-0805
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AEROSOLS
AIR POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
CALIFORNIA
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
COLLOIDS
DISEASE INCIDENCE
DISEASES
DISPERSIONS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
EPIDEMIOLOGY
FEDERAL REGION IX
LOS ANGELES
MATHEMATICS
MEDICAL PERSONNEL
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
NITROGEN OXIDES
NORTH AMERICA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERSONNEL
PHOTOCHEMICAL OXIDANTS
POLLUTION
REGRESSION ANALYSIS
RESIDUES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
SMOKES
SOLS
STATISTICS
SURVEYS
SYMPTOMS
TOBACCO SMOKES
TOXICITY
USA