We have located links that may give you full text access.
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Farm environment in childhood prevents the development of allergies.
Clinical and Experimental Allergy 2000 Februrary
BACKGROUND: A protective effect of infections in early life might explain the firmly reported finding of an inverse association between atopic disorders and large sibships.
OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of childhood farm, rural non-farm and urban environment, as well as family size and other factors on the occurrence of asthma, wheezing and atopic disorders up to young adulthood.
METHODS: Data on lifetime prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma, allergic rhinitis and/or allergic conjunctivitis, atopic dermatitis, as well as self-reported episodic wheezing from 10 667 Finnish first-year university students aged 18-24 years were collected by a postal questionnaire. Associations of lifetime prevalence of the diseases with living on a farm, in a rural non-farm and urban environment during childhood were estimated by logistic regression analysis. Adjustment was made for potential confounding by gender, parental atopy, parental education, number of older siblings, day care outside the home and passive smoking.
RESULTS: The childhood farm environment independently reduced the risk for physician-diagnosed allergic rhinitis and/or allergic conjunctivitis (adjusted odds ratio 0.63, 95% CI 0.50-0.79, P < 0.001), and for diagnosed asthma and episodic wheezing analysed together (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.54-0.93, P < 0.05), but not for atopic dermatitis during lifetime. Urban childhood environment did not show independent increased risk when compared with rural non-farm residence. The inverse association of sibship size with the occurrence of allergic rhinitis and/or allergic conjunctivitis was found among subjects with one (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.77-0.96, P < 0.01) or at least four older siblings (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.26-0.84, P < 0.05).
CONCLUSION: Childhood farm environment seems to have a protective effect against allergic rhinitis and/or conjunctivitis, and more weakly against asthma and wheezing irrespective of family size. Environmental exposure to immune modulating agents, such as environmental mycobacteria and actinomycetes, favouring manifestation of a nonatopic phenotype could explain the finding.
OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of childhood farm, rural non-farm and urban environment, as well as family size and other factors on the occurrence of asthma, wheezing and atopic disorders up to young adulthood.
METHODS: Data on lifetime prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma, allergic rhinitis and/or allergic conjunctivitis, atopic dermatitis, as well as self-reported episodic wheezing from 10 667 Finnish first-year university students aged 18-24 years were collected by a postal questionnaire. Associations of lifetime prevalence of the diseases with living on a farm, in a rural non-farm and urban environment during childhood were estimated by logistic regression analysis. Adjustment was made for potential confounding by gender, parental atopy, parental education, number of older siblings, day care outside the home and passive smoking.
RESULTS: The childhood farm environment independently reduced the risk for physician-diagnosed allergic rhinitis and/or allergic conjunctivitis (adjusted odds ratio 0.63, 95% CI 0.50-0.79, P < 0.001), and for diagnosed asthma and episodic wheezing analysed together (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.54-0.93, P < 0.05), but not for atopic dermatitis during lifetime. Urban childhood environment did not show independent increased risk when compared with rural non-farm residence. The inverse association of sibship size with the occurrence of allergic rhinitis and/or allergic conjunctivitis was found among subjects with one (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.77-0.96, P < 0.01) or at least four older siblings (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.26-0.84, P < 0.05).
CONCLUSION: Childhood farm environment seems to have a protective effect against allergic rhinitis and/or conjunctivitis, and more weakly against asthma and wheezing irrespective of family size. Environmental exposure to immune modulating agents, such as environmental mycobacteria and actinomycetes, favouring manifestation of a nonatopic phenotype could explain the finding.
Full text links
Related Resources
Trending Papers
Challenges in Septic Shock: From New Hemodynamics to Blood Purification Therapies.Journal of Personalized Medicine 2024 Februrary 4
Molecular Targets of Novel Therapeutics for Diabetic Kidney Disease: A New Era of Nephroprotection.International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2024 April 4
The 'Ten Commandments' for the 2023 European Society of Cardiology guidelines for the management of endocarditis.European Heart Journal 2024 April 18
A Guide to the Use of Vasopressors and Inotropes for Patients in Shock.Journal of Intensive Care Medicine 2024 April 14
Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university
For the best experience, use the Read mobile app
All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2024 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.
By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
Your Privacy Choices
You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now
Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university
For the best experience, use the Read mobile app