Early-life farm exposures and adult asthma and atopy in the Agricultural Lung Health Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Previous studies, mostly from Europe, suggest that early-life farming exposures protect against childhood asthma and allergy; few data exist on asthma and allergy in adults.

Objective

We sought to examine associations between early-life farming exposures and current asthma and atopy in an older adult US farming population.

Methods

We analyzed data from 1746 farmers and 1555 spouses (mean age, 63) from a case-control study nested within the Agricultural Health Study. Current asthma and early-life farming exposures were assessed via questionnaires. We defined atopy based on specific IgE > 0.70 IU/mL to at least 1 of 10 allergens measured in blood. We used logistic regression, adjusted for age, sex, race, state (Iowa or North Carolina), and smoking (pack years

SUBMITTER: House JS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5429211 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature