Dorte Wiwe Dürr1, Birgit Bjerre Høyer1, Line Høgenhof Christensen1, Henning Sloth Pedersen2, Andrii Zinchuk3, Bo Ag Jönsson4, Christian H Lindh4, Jens Peter Bonde5, Gunnar Toft6. 1. Danish Ramazzini Center, Department of Occupational Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade 44, build.2c, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark. 2. Primary Health Care Clinic, Postbox 570, DK-3900 Nuuk, Greenland. 3. Departement of Social Medicine and Organization of Public Health, Kharkiv National Medical University, 61022 Kharkiv, Ukraine. 4. Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, S-221 85 Lund, Sweden. 5. Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, 2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark. 6. Danish Ramazzini Center, Department of Occupational Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade 44, build.2c, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark; Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Olof Palmes Alle 43-45, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark. Electronic address: gunnar.toft@clin.au.dk.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: This study examines associations between prenatal exposure to tobacco smoking and adverse behaviour in the offspring. METHODS: We included 1016 pregnant women from Greenland and Ukraine (526 from Greenland and 490 from Ukraine). Serum cotinine measurements were used to identify smoking pregnant women. When the children were from five to nine years of age, the parents assessed the child's behaviour using the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). RESULTS: Overall, smoking in pregnancy was not associated with a higher probability of adverse behaviour assessed by the total SDQ score. However, in the crude analysis smoking was associated with a higher mean difference of SDQ-total score. In Greenland the SDQ-total mean difference (MD) was (MD (95% CI)=1.31 points (0.42; 2.19)) and in Ukraine (MD (95% CI)=0.18 points (-1.2; 0.91)), whereas the adjusted mean differences were statistically non-significant. CONCLUSIONS: In utero exposure to tobacco smoking was not associated with a significant higher risk of adverse behaviour in the offspring, but elevated risk of adverse behaviour among children prenatally exposed to smoking cannot be excluded.
OBJECTIVES: This study examines associations between prenatal exposure to tobacco smoking and adverse behaviour in the offspring. METHODS: We included 1016 pregnant women from Greenland and Ukraine (526 from Greenland and 490 from Ukraine). Serum cotinine measurements were used to identify smoking pregnant women. When the children were from five to nine years of age, the parents assessed the child's behaviour using the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). RESULTS: Overall, smoking in pregnancy was not associated with a higher probability of adverse behaviour assessed by the total SDQ score. However, in the crude analysis smoking was associated with a higher mean difference of SDQ-total score. In Greenland the SDQ-total mean difference (MD) was (MD (95% CI)=1.31 points (0.42; 2.19)) and in Ukraine (MD (95% CI)=0.18 points (-1.2; 0.91)), whereas the adjusted mean differences were statistically non-significant. CONCLUSIONS: In utero exposure to tobacco smoking was not associated with a significant higher risk of adverse behaviour in the offspring, but elevated risk of adverse behaviour among children prenatally exposed to smoking cannot be excluded.
Authors: Alfgeir L Kristjansson; Ingibjorg E Thorisdottir; Thora Steingrimsdottir; John P Allegrante; Christa L Lilly; Inga D Sigfusdottir Journal: Eur J Public Health Date: 2017-10-01 Impact factor: 3.367