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

Details

• Personal Author:
  Barker-Cummings C ; Beane Freeman LE ; Henneberger, Paul K. ; Hoppin JA ; House JS ; London SJ ; Long O'Connell E ; Long S ; Richards M ; Sandler DP ; Umbach DM ; Wyss AB
• Description:
  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: 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 1,746 farmers and 1,555 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 one of ten allergens measured in blood. We used logistic regression, adjusted for age, sex, race, state (Iowa or North Carolina), and smoking (pack-years), to estimate associations between early-life exposures and asthma (1,198 cases and 2,031 non-cases) or atopy (578 cases and 2,526 non-cases). RESULTS: Exposure to the farming environment in utero and in early childhood had little or no association with asthma but was associated with reduced odds of atopy. The strongest association was seen for having a mother who performed farm activities while pregnant (Odds Ratio=0.60, 95% Confidence Interval=0.48-0.74) and remained significant in models with correlated early-life exposures including early childhood farm animal contact and raw milk consumption. Conclusions: In a large US farming population, early-life farm exposures, particularly maternal farming activities while pregnant, were strongly associated with reduced risk of atopy in adults. These results extend previous work done primarily on childhood outcomes and suggest that protective associations of early-life farming exposures on atopy endure across the life-course. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Age Factors Agriculture Animals Asthma Asthma, Occupational Demography Dust Environmental Exposure Family Farmers Hypersensitivity Immune System Longevity Lung Occupational Health Pregnancy Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety Smokers Surveys And Questionnaires Tobacco Products

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• Keywords:
  Age Factors Agricultural Industry Agricultural Workers Agricultural Workers' Diseases Allergens Allergies Author Keywords: Allergy And Immunology Bronchial Asthma Case Control Studies Cigarette Smoking Demographic Characteristics Dust Exposure Dusts Environmental Exposure Families Farm Workers Health Surveys Hygiene Hypothesis Immune Reaction Immunoglobulin E Immunoglobulins In Utero Exposure Lifespan Lung Function Prenatal Exposure Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects Questionnaires Regression Analysis

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• ISSN:
  0091-6749
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; North Carolina ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  RHD - Respiratory Health Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  140
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20048976
• Citation:
  J Allergy Clin Immunol 2017 Jul; 140(1):249-256.e14
• Contact Point Address:
  Stephanie London, MD, DrPH, Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, PO Box 12233, MD A3-05, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
• Email:
  london2@niehs.nih.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2017
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:9a0adf4b0dbe8c70fd23c173e02ae4e614cf6f4ee47007db8713d6c0dd146e37b1c06cdd942e2e692b01874fc732eb274d553372573642e8b96de099f912ab36
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/203585/cdc_203585_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 907.98 KB ]