Abstract

LAZCANO-PONCE, Eduardo et al. High levels of cotinine metabolite in smoker's parents children. Salud pública Méx [online]. 2007, vol.49, suppl.2, pp.s213-s223. ISSN 0036-3634.

INTRODUCTION: Children and adult exposure to SecondHand Smoke (SHS) may occur in government offices, work and public places as well as in vehicles. Nevertheless, SHS is particularly important at home. High exposure levels in children may be the main reason to prevent parents and other family members from smoking at home. This study aims at establishing SHS levels by measuring biomakers in serum in pairs of parents and their younger than five years old children in Mexico, included in the 2000 National Health Survey. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seventy-six parents-children pairs were taken from households with non smokers adults, as well as 83 pairs with adult smokers at home. Selection was limited to the adult population in households with children under five years old. Serum samples were analyzed through liquid chromatographic. Correlation exposure models between parents-children pairs were built and stratified according to parents’ background concerning smoking. RESULTS: In the smokers group, people with more than 15ng/mL of cotinine metabolites in serum showed prevalence of 100%. Minimum quantification was 18.50 and maximum 221.5ng/mL. In adults, cotinine metabolite levels in serun were 50 times higher in smokers (107.4ng/mL), than in non smokers (1.99 ng/mL). Concerning 3-hydroxycotinine, something similar was observed (0.60 in non smokers vs. 33.50 ng/mL in smokers). A significant difference three times higher in cotinine levels (0.10 vs. 0.60ng/mL) and 3-hydroxycotinine (0.06 vs. 0.19ng/mL) was found in those children with, at least, one of both parents who smoked. CONCLUSIONS: It is worthwhile noting that although there is a significant difference in ETS in children with both parents who smoke, the ETS found in children younger than five years old, from non smokers parents, is also important. This is the first time that high SHS in children from smokers and non smokers parents is documented in Mexico. This highlights the fact that SHS in Mexican children represents not only a public health problem in households with smokers; it also occurs frequently in different public places. Further studies must be carried on in Mexico and in the region in order to assess the impact of interventions which will guarantee households and public spaces free from SHS.

Keywords : SecondHand Smoke; smoking; cotinine; 3’- hydroxycotinine; Mexico.

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