IJERPH, Vol. 18, Pages 12506: Influence of Maternal Active and Secondhand Smoking during Pregnancy on Childhood Obesity at 3 Years of Age: A Nested Case & ndash;Control Study from the Japan Environment and Children & rsquo;s Study (JECS)

We examined the effects of maternal active and secondhand smoking during pregnancy on childhood obesity in a large population-based cohort. A nested case–control study originating from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study was performed. The maternal smoking status was collected via self-administered questionnaires during mid/late pregnancy. Obesity in children was determined based on BMI measured at 3 years of age. In total, 4875 cases and 19,491 controls were included in the analyses. Conditional logistic regression models with a significance level of 5% (two-tailed test) were used to test the association. The proportion of mothers who continued smoking and who were exposed to secondhand smoking daily during pregnancy were 3.9% and 13.0% in cases and 2.9% and 10.8% in controls, respectively. Continuous maternal smoking was associated with increased odds of obesity compared to those who never smoked or quit smoking before the pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio, 1.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.01–1.92). The odds increased further when combined with secondhand smoking. The promotion of non-smoking among family members, in public and workplace could benefit pregnant women and offspring.
Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Article Source Type: research