Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, China Medical University, 92 North 2nd Road, Heping District, Shenyang, Liaoning Province 110001, China.
Environ Health. 2012 Jul 23;11:50. doi: 10.1186/1476-069X-11-50.
The relationship between pet exposure and the respiratory disease in childhood has been a controversial topic, much is still unknown about the nature of the associations between pet exposure and children's respiratory health stratified by gender and allergic predisposition. The objective of the present study was to assess the relationship between pet exposure and respiratory symptoms in Chinese children, and to investigate the modified effects of gender and allergic predisposition on such relationship.
31,049 children were selected from 25 districts of 7 cities in Northeast China in 2009. Information on respiratory health and exposure to home environmental factors was obtained via a standard questionnaire designed by the American Thoracic Society.
Children with an allergic predisposition were found to have more frequent exposure to pets than those without an allergic predisposition (18.5% vs. 15.4%). In children without an allergic predisposition, pet exposure was associated with increased susceptibility to respiratory symptoms/diseases, with girls being more susceptible than boys. No association was found between pet exposure and respiratory symptoms/diseases in boys with an allergic predisposition. In girls with an allergic predisposition, association was found between doctor-diagnosed asthma and pet exposure of their mother during pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio (ORs)=2.03; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-4.33), and their current pet exposure (ORs=1.37; 95%CI: 1.00-1.88).
Pet exposure in children without an allergic predisposition was associated with increased susceptibility to respiratory disease, with girls being more susceptible than boys.
宠物暴露与儿童呼吸道疾病之间的关系一直是一个有争议的话题，对于宠物暴露与儿童呼吸道健康之间的关联性质，尤其是在性别和过敏倾向分层方面，我们仍知之甚少。本研究旨在评估宠物暴露与中国儿童呼吸道症状之间的关系，并探讨性别和过敏倾向对这种关系的修正作用。
2009 年，我们从中国东北地区 7 个城市的 25 个区中选择了 31049 名儿童。通过美国胸科学会设计的标准问卷，获得了儿童呼吸道健康和家庭环境因素暴露的信息。
有过敏倾向的儿童比没有过敏倾向的儿童更容易接触宠物（18.5%对 15.4%）。在没有过敏倾向的儿童中，宠物暴露与呼吸道症状/疾病的易感性增加有关，女孩比男孩更易感。在有过敏倾向的男孩中，宠物暴露与呼吸道症状/疾病之间没有关联。在有过敏倾向的女孩中，与医生诊断的哮喘有关的是母亲在怀孕期间的宠物暴露（调整后的比值比（ORs）=2.03；95%置信区间（CI）：1.01-4.33），以及她们目前的宠物暴露（ORs=1.37；95%CI：1.00-1.88）。
在没有过敏倾向的儿童中，宠物暴露与呼吸道疾病的易感性增加有关，女孩比男孩更易感。
