Parental farming protects children against atopy: longitudinal evidence involving skin prick tests

Horák, F.; Studnicka, Michael; Gärtner, Ch.; Veiter, A.; Tauber, Erich; Urbanek, R.; Frischer, Thomas

doi:10.1046/j.1365-2745.2002.01448.x

Cited by 68 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 21 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Among children aged 7-8 yrs, the prevalence of atopy in the children of Cretan farmers was far higher than that among farming children in Austria [7] but not dissimilar to estimates among farming children living in Sweden, Australia or Finland [8,11,12]. Conversely, the prevalence of atopy among children of nonfarmers in Crete is consistently lower than that among similar children living in any of the other communities studied.…”

Section: Animal Locationmentioning

confidence: 58%

The effects of farming and birth order on asthma and allergies

Zekveld

Bibakis²,

Bibaki-Liakou³

et al. 2006

European Respiratory Journal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A farm childhood is apparently protective in allergic disease, but studies of this issue in Europe have been confined to particular types of farming practice. This study addressed whether or not this effect was generalisable.A cross-sectional survey of 800 schoolchildren living in rural Crete was undertaken. Standard questions relating to allergic disease were included and atopy was measured through skin-prick tests involving 10 local aeroallergens.The prevalence of atopy was 24%, but associated symptoms were far less common. At all ages, children from farming families had more frequent contact with farm animals (mainly goats), but were no less likely to be atopic. Atopy and seasonal rhinitis were significantly and independently more common among first-born children.This community has an intermediate prevalence of atopy but a very low frequency of allergic disease; farming does not seem to be an important determinant, possibly because it is of the wrong sort. Thus farming effects may be specific to local practices. First-born children in this community also appear to be at increased risk of allergic disease.

show abstract

Section: Animal Locationmentioning

confidence: 58%

The effects of farming and birth order on asthma and allergies

Zekveld

Bibakis²,

Bibaki-Liakou³

et al. 2006

European Respiratory Journal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Swiss school children showed to have atopy, measured by radioallergosorbent test, and symptoms of hay fever significantly less frequently than children from the same area who have not been growing up on a farm (114). This inverse association between exposure to farm/country environment in childhood and the subsequent development of atopic disorders has been confirmed by further studies in Germany (115), Austria (116,117), Finland (118), Denmark (119), Canada (120) and France (121) There is also some evidence to suggest that exposure to country living also in later childhood or even in adulthood 'ever living in the country' may confer protection against asthma and atopy implicating that immunomodulation may not be restricted to exposure in the first years of the life only (121). Importantly, a study from New Zealand has shown that the results obtained from Europe and Canada are not necessarily applicable to other continents and countries.…”

Section: Exposure To Farm/country Environment and Petsmentioning

confidence: 71%

Asthma and atopy – the price of affluence?

Hertzen

Haahtela²

2004

Allergy

121

110

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Irrespective of improved knowledge of many aspects of atopic diseases, the unfavorable trends in their prevalence particularly among children could not have been reversed. A growing body of evidence suggests that something may lack from our societal affluence that has the capacity to provide protection against the development of atopic diseases. Much attention during the last years has been devoted to the hygiene hypothesis. This review outlines the impact of environment and lifestyle, particularly from the perspective of the East–West gradient, on the development of atopic diseases, with a special emphasis on the hygiene hypothesis in its broadest sense.

show abstract

“…In a Norwegian cohort study of 2,531 children followed for 4 years from birth, the risk of asthma was lower in children with any pet at birth, with an adjusted OR of 0.7 (95% CI 0.5–1.1) [21]. In particular, growing up on a farm and exposure to livestock appears to provide protection against development of atopic disease in some Western populations [22, 23]. It has been proposed that high exposure to microbial products, such as bacterial endotoxin, in the first years of life may mediate this protective effect [24, 25].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Housing Characteristics and Home Environmental Factors on Respiratory Symptoms of 10,784 Elementary School Children from Northeast China

Dong

Ding

et al. 2008

Respiration

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Only few studies have assessed the relative impact of housing characteristics and home environmental factors on asthma and asthma-related symptoms in Chinese children, and to our knowledge, few studies have elaborated respiratory symptoms and allergies in this context. Objective: It was the aim of this study to assess the effects of housing characteristics, pet keeping, home decorations and other indoor environmental factors on respiratory health of Chinese children. Methods: We studied 10,784 children (6–13 years old) from 12 districts in Liaoning province, Northeast China. Information on respiratory health, housing characteristics and environmental pollution was obtained by a standard questionnaire from the American Thoracic Society. Results: Prevalence of asthma-related symptoms was higher for those living along the main stem of traffic, and for those with a house nearby a pollution source. Lower prevalence rates of respiratory morbidity were associated with households with a bigger area of residence and more rooms. Pet keeping was associated with doctor-diagnosed asthma (OR = 1.52; 95% CI 1.25–1.84). Home decorations also increased the risk of doctor-diagnosed asthma (OR = 1.72; 95% CI 1.45–2.04) and current asthma (OR = 1.43; 95% CI 1.06–1.93). Environmental tobacco smoke, pests and visible mold on walls were associated with the occurrence of asthma symptoms. Conclusion: Home environmental factors are particularly important for the development of respiratory morbidity among children.

show abstract

Parental farming protects children against atopy: longitudinal evidence involving skin prick tests

Abstract: A farming environment has a strong negative effect on the development of allergic sensitization. Furthermore, the study provides evidence that atopic children living on a farm lose their SPT positivity more frequently than children from non-farming environments.

Cited by 68 publications

References 21 publications

The effects of farming and birth order on asthma and allergies

The effects of farming and birth order on asthma and allergies

Asthma and atopy – the price of affluence?

Effects of Housing Characteristics and Home Environmental Factors on Respiratory Symptoms of 10,784 Elementary School Children from Northeast China

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About