Volume 118, Issue 3 , Pages 691-698, September 2006
Do asthma and allergy influence subsequent pet keeping? An analysis of childhood and adulthood
Background
Asthma and allergy might influence the choice of keeping pets, leading to apparent protective effects of pets on allergic disease.
Objective
We investigated the effects of asthma and allergy on subsequent pet keeping in childhood and adulthood.
Methods
Information about asthma and pet keeping at ages 0 to 4, 5 to 15, 20 to 44, and 26 to 56 years was provided by 9812 subjects participating in the 9-year follow-up of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey.
Results
In childhood asthma debut at younger than 5 years was associated with less cat keeping at 5 to 15 years (odds ratio [OR], 0.60; 95% CI, 0.44-0.82), an effect only observed when the parents did not have asthma or allergy (Pinteraction = .045). Childhood asthma did not influence adult pet ownership, unless there were adult symptoms. Adults less often acquired cats at follow-up if they had 3 or more asthma symptoms (OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.64-0.95), were taking asthma medication (OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.31-0.74), had hay fever (OR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.62-0.91), had atopy (OR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.61-0.91), or had specific IgE to cat (OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.39-0.82) at baseline. Adults who already had pets usually continued keeping the same type of pet, except that the presence of 3 or more asthma symptoms was associated with less subsequent dog keeping (OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.53-0.89). Pet removal between surveys to reduce allergen was reported by 4.7%.
Conclusion
Selective avoidance subsequent to asthma or allergy was observed for childhood cat keeping and adult cat acquisition. Avoidance would produce an apparent protective effect of cats on childhood asthma (large OR, 0.83). Avoidance was generally not observed for dogs or birds.
Clinical implications
A part of the protective effects of childhood cats on asthma and allergy can be attributed to selective avoidance.
Key words: Selective avoidance, pets, cats, dogs, birds, asthma, allergy, atopy, ECRHS
Abbreviations used: ECRHS, European Community Respiratory Health Survey, OR, Odds ratio
The first author, Cecilie Svanes, was supported by a grant from the Norwegian Research Council. The coordination of European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) II was supported by the European Commission as part of their Quality of Life program. The following bodies funded the local studies in ECRHS II in this article. Albacete—Fondo de Investigaciones Santarias (grant code: 97/0035-01, 99/0034-01, and 99/0034-02), Hospital Universitario de Albacete, Consejeria de Sanidad. Antwerp—FWO (Fund for Scientific Research) Flanders Belgium (grant code: G.0402.00), University of Antwerp, Flemish Health Ministry. Barcelona—Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (grant code: 99/0034-01, and 99/0034-02), Red Respira (RTIC 03/11 ISC IIF). Basel—Swiss National Science Foundation, Swiss Federal Office for Education and Science, Swiss National Accident Insurance Fund (SUVA). Bergen—Norwegian Research Council; Norwegian Asthma and Allergy Association (NAAF); Glaxo Wellcome AS, Norway Research Fund. Bordeaux—Institut Pneumologique d'Aquitaine. Erfurt—GSF–National Research Centre for Environment and Health, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG; grant code: FR 1526/1-1). Galdakao—Basque Health Department. Gothenburg—Swedish Heart Lung Foundation, Swedish Foundation for Health Care Sciences and Allergy Research, Swedish Asthma and Allergy Foundation, Swedish Cancer and Allergy Foundation. Grenoble—Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique–DRC de Grenoble 2000 no. 2610, Ministry of Health, Direction de la Recherche Clinique, Ministere de l'Emploi et de la Solidarite, Direction Generale de la Sante, CHU de Grenoble, Comite des Maladies Respiratoires de l'Isere. Hamburg—GSF–National Research Centre for Environment and Health, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG; grant code: MA 711/4-1). Ipswich and Norwich—National Asthma Campaign (UK). Huelva—Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (FIS; grant code: 97/0035-01, 99/0034-01, and 99/0034-02). Montpellier—Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique-DRC de Grenoble 2000 no. 2610, Ministry of Health, Direction de la Recherche Clinique, CHU de Grenoble, Ministere de l'Emploi et de la Solidarite, Direction Generale de la Sante, Aventis (France), Direction Régionale des Affaires Sanitaires et Sociales Languedoc-Roussillon. Oviedo—Fondo de Investigaciones Santarias (FIS; grant code: 97/0035-01, 99/0034-01, and 99/0034-02). Paris—Ministere de l'Emploi et de la Solidarite, Direction Generale de la Sante, UCBPharma (France), Aventis (France), Glaxo France, Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique-DRC de Grenoble 2000 no. 2610, Ministry of Health, Direction de la Recherche Clinique, CHU de Grenoble. Pavia—Glaxo, Smith, and Kline Italy; Italian Ministry of University and Scientific and Technological Research (MURST); Local University Funding for Research 1998 and 1999 (Pavia, Italy). Portland—American Lung Association of Oregon, Northwest Health Foundation, Collins Foundation, Merck Pharmaceutical. Reykjavik—Icelandic Research Council, Icelandic University Hospital Fund. Tartu—Estonian Science Foundation. Turin—ASL 4 Regione Piemonte (Italy), AO CTO/ICORMA Regione Piemonte (Italy), Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca Scientifica (Italy), Glaxo Wellcome spa (Verona, Italy). Umeå—Swedish Heart Lung Foundation, Swedish Foundation for Health Care Sciences and Allergy Research, Swedish Asthma and Allergy Foundation, Swedish Cancer and Allergy Foundation. Uppsala—Swedish Heart Lung Foundation, Swedish Foundation for Health Care Sciences and Allergy Research, Swedish Asthma and Allergy Foundation, Swedish Cancer and Allergy Foundation. Verona—University of Verona; Italian Ministry of University and Scientific and Technological Research (MURST); Glaxo, Smith, and Kline Italy. The following bodies funded ECRHS I for centers in ECRHS II: Belgian Science Policy Office, National Fund for Scientific Research; Ministère de la Santé, Glaxo France, Institut Pneumologique d'Aquitaine, Contrat de Plan Etat-Région Languedoc-Rousillon, CNMATS, CNMRT (90MR/10, 91AF/6), Ministre delegué de la santé, RNSP, France; GSF and the Bundesminister für Forschung und Technologie, Bonn, Germany; Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca Scientifica e Tecnologica, CNR, Regione Veneto grant RSF no. 381/05.93, Italy; Norwegian Research Council project no. 101422/310; Dutch Ministry of Wellbeing, Public Health and Culture, Netherlands; Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo FIS (grants no. 91/0016060/00E-05E and 93/0393), and grants from Hospital General de Albacete, Hospital General Juan Ramón Jiménez, Consejería de Sanidad, Principado de Asturias, Spain; The Swedish Medical Research Council, the Swedish Heart Lung Foundation, the Swedish Association against Asthma and Allergy; Swiss National Science Foundation grant 4026-28099; National Asthma Campaign, British Lung Foundation, Department of Health, South Thames Regional Health Authority, United Kingdom; United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare Public Health Service (grant no. 2 S07 RR05521-28).Disclosure of potential conflict of interest: R. de Marco has received grant support from GlaxoSmithKline. The rest of the authors have declared that they have no conflict of interest.
PII: S0091-6749(06)01369-8
doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2006.06.017
© 2006 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Volume 118, Issue 3 , Pages 691-698, September 2006
