Influence of smoking cigarettes on the development of the child and its health condition

• Published in: Przeglad lekarski Vol. 65; no. 10; p. 427
• Main Authors: Pirogowicz, Iwona, Joniec, Łucja, Guzikowski, Wojciech, Gwiazda, Elzbieta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Polish
• Published: Poland 2008
• Subjects: Adult; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Causality; Child; Child, Preschool; Comorbidity; Environmental Exposure - statistics & numerical data; Female; Humans; Parent-Child Relations; Poland - epidemiology; Respiratory Tract Diseases - drug therapy; Respiratory Tract Diseases - epidemiology; Smoking - epidemiology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tobacco Smoke Pollution - statistics & numerical data; Poland
• ISSN: 0033-2240

35.5% of Polish society is active smokers and as many as 20% of pregnant women. Influence of passive smoking on fetuses and children is bigger than active smoking on adults. The aim of this scrutiny was to develop relationship between preschool children passive smoking and their health condition. Research was made with the use of 100 anonymous questionnaires among parents of children from nursery schools in Opole. We received the following results: active smokers lived in almost half of examined families (44%), the most numerous group of smokers was parents (80.5%). The most often (43.3%) children were exposed on 20 cigarettes per day. 40.9% parents smoked outside, on the balcony, however the rest of them inside, in various rooms of the house. Most of parents thought that the health condition of their children was good, but more smokers than non-smokers estimated it as bad (11.4% vs. 1.8%). To the question how often are their children sick the most parents in both groups answered that 1-3 times per year. Most frequent illnesses concerned children of smokers and it was mainly respiratory tract diseases. Antibiotics intake was more often among children of smokers than non-smokers. Relationship between their children health condition and cigarette smoking confirmed 90% of parents. Denied it 10% and all of them were smokers. It indicates the need of better education of both, parents and children, in the field of harmful effects of passive smoking on health.