© 1992 Oxford University Press
research-article |
Pets, Allergy and Respiratory Symptoms in Children
*Department of Environmental Health, University of Wageningen PO Box 238, 6700 AE Wageningen, The Netherlands
Municipal Health Service Eindhoven, The Netherlands
The relationship between pet ownership and respiratory allergy and symptoms was investigated in a population of 3344 Dutch children of 6–10 years old. Pet ownership was defined by the presence of cats, dogs, birds and/or rodents in the home. The reported prevalence of respiratory allergy and symptoms was lower among children of current pet owners than among children of parents who owned no pets. When past pet ownership was taken into account, however, a different picture emerged. The lowest prevalence of respiratory allergy and symptoms was found in children of current pet owners who had no pets in the past. The next lowest prevalence was found in children of current pet owners who had had pets in the past also. The next highest prevalence was found in children who never had pets in their life. The highest prevalence of reported pet allergy, chronic cough, wheeze, attacks of shortness of breath with wheezing, and doctor-diagnosed asthma was found in children who had pets in the past but not anymore. Past cat ownership especially was associated with a high prevalence of pet allergy and doctor-diagnosed asthma. Almost 2% of the population reported to never have owned pets for health reasons, and more than 12% reported removing pets from the home for health reasons in the past. These results show that selective avoidance and removal of pets leads to distortions of cross-sectional associations between pet ownership and respiratory allergy and disease among children.
Received 1 July 1991
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  C-M. Chen, V. Morgenstern, W. Bischof, O. Herbarth, M. Borte, H. Behrendt, U. Kramer, A. von Berg, D. Berdel, C. P. Bauer, et al. Dog ownership and contact during childhood and later allergy development Eur. Respir. J., May 1, 2008; 31(5): 963 - 973. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Polk, J. Sunyer, L. Munoz-Ortiz, M. Barnes, M. Torrent, C. Figueroa, J. Harris, O. Vall, J. M. Anto, and P. Cullinan A Prospective Study of Fel d1 and Der p1 Exposure in Infancy and Childhood Wheezing Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., August 1, 2004; 170(3): 273 - 278. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. Belanger, W. Beckett, E. Triche, M. B. Bracken, T. Holford, P. Ren, J.-e. McSharry, D. R. Gold, T. A. E. Platts-Mills, and B. P. Leaderer Symptoms of Wheeze and Persistent Cough in the First Year of Life: Associations with Indoor Allergens, Air Contaminants, and Maternal History of Asthma Am. J. Epidemiol., August 1, 2003; 158(3): 195 - 202. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. S. Chapman, W. C. Hadden, and S. A. Perlin Influences of Asthma and Household Environment on Lung Function in Children and Adolescents: The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Am. J. Epidemiol., July 15, 2003; 158(2): 175 - 189. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 B. P. Lanphear, R. S. Kahn, O. Berger, P. Auinger, S. M. Bortnick, and R. W. Nahhas Contribution of Residential Exposures to Asthma in US Children and Adolescents Pediatrics, June 1, 2001; 107 (6): e98 - e98. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. ALMQVIST, M. WICKMAN, L. PERFETTI, N. BERGLIND, A. RENSTROM, M. HEDREN, K. LARSSON, G. HEDLIN, and P. MALMBERG Worsening of Asthma in Children Allergic to Cats, after Indirect Exposure to Cat at School Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., March 1, 2001; 163(3): 694 - 698. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 G. Roberts and G. Lack Lesson of the week: Horse allergy in children BMJ, July 29, 2000; 321(7256): 286 - 287. [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. M. PETERS, E. AVOL, W. NAVIDI, S. J. LONDON, W. J. GAUDERMAN, F. LURMANN, W. S. LINN, H. MARGOLIS, E. RAPPAPORT, H. GONG Jr., et al. A Study of Twelve Southern California Communities with Differing Levels and Types of Air Pollution . I. Prevalence of Respiratory Morbidity Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., March 1, 1999; 159(3): 760 - 767. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M L Burr, H R Anderson, J B Austin, L S Harkins, B Kaur, D P Strachan, and J O Warner Respiratory symptoms and home environment in children: a national survey Thorax, January 1, 1999; 54(1): 27 - 32. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. L. DUFFY, C. A. MITCHELL, and N. G. MARTIN Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors for Asthma . A Cotwin-control Study Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., March 1, 1998; 157(3): 840 - 845. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. P Strachan and I. M Carey Home environment and severe asthma in adolescence: a population based case-control study BMJ, October 21, 1995; 311(7012): 1053 - 1056. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|