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Campbell, B.* ; Raherison, C.* ; Lodge, C.J.* ; Lowe, A.J.* ; Gislason, T.* ; Heinrich, J. ; Sunyer, J.* ; Gómez Real, F.* ; Norbäck, D.* ; Matheson, M.C.* ; Wjst, M. ; Dratva, J.* ; de Marco, R.* ; Jarvis, D.* ; Schlünssen, V.* ; Janson, C.* ; Leynaert, B.* ; Svanes, C.* ; Dharmage, S.C.*

The effects of growing up on a farm on adult lung function and allergic phenotypes: An international population-based study.

Thorax 72, 1-9 (2017)
Publ. Version/Full Text Postprint DOI PMC
Open Access Green
RATIONALE: Evidence has suggested that exposure to environmental or microbial biodiversity in early life may impact subsequent lung function and allergic disease risk. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the influence of childhood living environment and biodiversity indicators on atopy, asthma and lung function in adulthood. METHODS AND MEASUREMENTS: The European Community Respiratory Health Survey II investigated ∼10 201 participants aged 26-54 years from 14 countries, including participants' place of upbringing (farm, rural environment or inner city) before age 5 years. A 'biodiversity score' was created based on childhood exposure to cats, dogs, day care, bedroom sharing and older siblings. Associations with lung function, bronchial hyper-responsiveness (BHR), allergic sensitisation, asthma and rhinitis were analysed. MAIN RESULTS: As compared with a city upbringing, those with early-life farm exposure had less atopic sensitisation (adjusted OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.58), atopic BHR (0.54 (0.35 to 0.83)), atopic asthma (0.47 (0.28 to 0.81)) and atopic rhinitis (0.43 (0.32 to 0.57)), but not non-atopic outcomes. Less pronounced protective effects were observed for rural environment exposures. Women with a farm upbringing had higher FEV1 (adjusted difference 110 mL (64 to 157)), independent of sensitisation and asthma. In an inner city environment, a higher biodiversity score was related to less allergic sensitisation. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to report beneficial effects of growing up on a farm on adult FEV1. Our study confirmed the beneficial effects of early farm life on sensitisation, asthma and rhinitis, and found a similar association for BHR. In persons with an urban upbringing, a higher biodiversity score predicted less allergic sensitisation, but to a lesser magnitude than a childhood farm environment.
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Publication type Article: Journal article
Document type Scientific Article
Corresponding Author
Keywords Allergic Lung Disease ; Asthma Epidemiology ; Respiratory Measurement; Respiratory Symptoms; Microbial Exposure; Rural Populations; Childhood Asthma; Air-pollution; House-dust; Early-life; Hay-fever; Children; Atopy
ISSN (print) / ISBN 0040-6376
e-ISSN 1468-3296
Journal Thorax
Quellenangaben Volume: 72, Issue: 3, Pages: 1-9 Article Number: , Supplement: ,
Publisher BMJ Publishing Group
Publishing Place London
Non-patent literature Publications
Reviewing status Peer reviewed
Institute(s) Institute of Epidemiology (EPI)
Institute of Lung Biology (LHI)