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Children’s waist circumference, BMI linked to secondhand smoke exposure
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Long-term exposure to secondhand smoke in early childhood was associated with an increase in waist circumference and BMI by age 10, according to recent findings.
Linda S. Pagani, PhD, from the CHU Sainte Justine Research Centre at the University of Montreal, and colleagues followed more than 2,000 participants from the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development birth cohort from 5 months postpartum to age 10 years to assess the effects of secondhand smoke exposure during early childhood, including the “adiposity rebound period” that is critical to the onset of obesity.
Researchers collected participant characteristics (sex, gestational weight, gestational exposure to tobacco, illicit drugs and alcohol, intake of sweets and television exposure) and parental characteristics (smoking status, antisocial behavior, depression, maternal BMI, age, immigration status, education and family income) from home visits, interviews and questionnaires.
At age 10 years, full data on waist circumference and BMI were available in 63% and 64% of the participants, respectively. Fourteen percent of participants who were never exposed to household tobacco smoke (n = 1,119) were overweight or obese, while 18.3% of participants exposed to transient smoke (n = 688) and 31.8% exposed to continuous smoke (n = 167) were identified as overweight or obese.
Compared with the nonexposure group, participants exposed to transient smoke had a predicted increase in waist circumference of 0.935 cm (95% CI, 0.05-1.82) and those exposed to continuous smoke had an increase of 1.565 cm (95% CI, 0.07-3.05). In addition, participants exposed to transient smoke and continuous smoke had 0.48- and 0.81-point increases, respectively, in BMI vs. those never exposed (P = .005 for both).
After adjusting for confounding variables, only those exposed to transient household smoke yielded an increase (adjusted OR = 1.43; 95% CI, 1.12-1.81) in the odds of becoming overweight or obese.
“It is worthy of note that these prospective associations were almost twice as large as the discounted influence of maternal BMI on children’s waist circumference and almost as large as the influence of smoking while pregnant,” Pagani and colleagues wrote.
The variables that contributed the most to predicted increase in waist circumference at age 10 years were maternal BMI (0.52 cm; 95% CI, 0.44-0.59) and maternal gestational smoking (1.6 cm; 95% CI, 0.59-2.61). Greater maternal BMI and participants with an immigrant mother had 12% and 17% increased odds of becoming overweight or obese, respectively.
In a related press release, Pagani said early exposure to secondhand smoke may influence endocrine imbalances and alter neurodevelopmental functions, damaging vital systems that undergo postnatal growth and development. She also said secondhand smoke has more toxic effects on children compared with adults because they require more aeration per kilogram of body weight.
“Our findings emphasize the importance of public health initiatives and parental sensitization aimed at domestic exposure reductions during the critical early childhood years,” Pagani said in the release. – by Stephanie Viguers
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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