Farming in childhood, diet in adulthood and asthma history

Abstract

The decrease in the number of children living on traditional farms in France during early childhood and changes in diet could both play a role in the increase in asthma prevalence over the last decades. This study aimed to assess 1) the association of farming lifestyle in childhood and asthma, and 2) whether diet in adulthood modifies the association between farming lifestyle in childhood and adult-onset asthma.In the French Etude Epidemiologique des Femmes de la Mutuelle Générale de l'Education Nationale (E3N) study (54,018 females; age 43-68 yrs), three indicators of farming lifestyle were defined: one using individual data (having farmer parents) and two using ecological data (born in a rural area and exposure to cattle).All farming lifestyle indicators were related to childhood-(,16 yrs) and adult-onset asthma (OR (95% CI) values for farmer parents were 0.54 (0.42-0.70) and 0.72 (0.62-0.84), respectively), and to diet in adulthood, in particular to high fruit and low wine intakes. The association between farmer parents and adult-onset asthma was not modified by diet in adulthood.Results extend previous observations in younger cohorts on the protective role of contact with livestock and farming lifestyle on asthma, in particular during childhood.

Environment and asthma in adults

“…The role of environmental and behavioral factors might differ across these phenotypes. In childhood, several environmental factors have been reported to be associated with asthma, including a protective effect of farming environment early in life or prenatally [13][14][15], a deleterious effect of exposure to second hand smoke, as well as a deleterious effect of exposure to air pollution [13,[15][16][17][18][19]. The conclusions of a recent review on the induction of asthma and the environment [17] provide scientific support for public health efforts to limit in utero and postnatal exposure to tobacco smoke.…”

“…Regarding domestic exposures, household help which is strongly related to SES, has not been taken into account until now. Diet, an important aspect of lifestyle, is also linked to social factors [14]. Recent studies suggested that low SES plays a role in both childhood-and adult-onset asthma [15].…”

“…Besides foods and nutrients per se, studying dietary patterns might provide insight regarding the role of diet not only through biological mechanisms, but also through social aspects. Diet is an essential aspect of lifestyle, with specificities between countries and social groups due to cultural, social and environmental factors [14]. Investigating dietary patterns is a new approach in the nutritional epidemiology of chronic diseases to assess the effects of overall diet [131].…”

Adult-onset asthma: is it really different?

“…Of interest, some aspects in early life appear to protect against the development of asthma. In children, contact with livestock and being born and raised on a farm reduces the risk of asthma in adulthood [28][29][30]. Similar to viruses, it is unknown whether the bacterial colonisation acts as the environmental trigger in genetically predisposed persons or whether this colonisation is merely a marker of the underlying genetic asthmatic constitution.…”

Early-life origins of chronic respiratory diseases: understanding and promoting healthy ageing

“…A high exposure to innate immunity-stimulating molecules, such as TLR agonists, is probably needed to prompt this beneficial effect [24]. Being conceived and raised in a farming environment appears to have a beneficial effect that persists at least into later childhood [25,26] and may therefore provide a healthy lifestyle for those at risk of developing allergic asthma. Pharmaceutical agonists of TLR4, TLR7, TLR8 and TLR9 have been developed to treat or prevent allergic disease, and have been tested in clinical studies.…”