Exposure to Second-Hand Smoke and the Risk of Tuberculosis in Children and Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 18 Observational Studies
“According to WHO Global Health Estimates, tuberculosis (TB) is among the top ten causes of global mortality and ranks second after cardiovascular disease in most high-burden regions. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we investigated the role of second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure as a risk factor for TB among children and adults.”
“We found that SHS exposure is associated with an increase in the relative risk of LTBI and active TB after controlling for age, BMF use, and contact with a TB patient, and there was no significant association of SHS exposure with LTBI after adjustment for SES and study quality. Given the high heterogeneity among the primary studies, our analysismay not show sufficient evidence to confirm an association. In addition, considering that the TB burden is highest in countries with increasing SHS exposure, it is important to confirm these results with higher quality studies. Research in this areamay have important implications for TB and tobacco control programs, especially for children in settings with high SHS exposure and TB burden.”
Citation: Patra J, Bhatia M, Suraweera W, Morris SK, Patra C, Gupta PC, et al. (2015) Exposure to Second-Hand Smoke and the Risk of Tuberculosis in Children and Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 18 Observational Studies. PLoS Med 12 (6): e1001835. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001835
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