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Table 2 Association of children’s respiratory symptoms and diseases with pet exposure in children with and without allergic predisposition *

From: Allergic predisposition modifies the effects of pet exposure on respiratory disease in boys and girls: the seven northeast cities of china (snecc) study

Characteristics

Persistent cough

Persistent phlegm

Doctor-diagnosed asthma

Current asthma

Current wheeze

Children without allergic predisposition (n = 26,809)

Exposure to pets during pregnancy (ref: no)

1.09 (0.79-1.50)

1.53 (1.04-2.26)

1.58 (1.12-2.24)

2.92 (1.84-4.62)

2.27 (1.62-3.17)

Exposure to pets in the first years (ref: no)

1.11 (0.85-1.44)

1.10 (0.76-1.59)

1.59 (1.19-2.13)

3.05 (2.05-4.53)

2.31 (1.74-3.07)

Current exposure to pets (ref: no) †

1.60 (1.43-1.78)

1.89 (1.64-2.19)

1.46 (1.27-1.67)

1.16 (0.90-1.50)

1.29 (1.12-1.50)

Number and type of pets†

1

1.31 (1.03-1.67)

1.73 (1.27-2.36)

1.27 (0.91-1.76)

1.27 (0.97-1.66)

1.23 (0.89-1.53)

≥2

1.66 (1.48-1.86)

1.93 (1.65-2.25)

1.54 (1.34-1.78)

0.67 (0.33-1.37)

1.31 (1.12-1.53)

Cats

1.79 (1.49-2.14)

2.35 (1.88-2.95)

1.68 (1.34-2.10)

1.48 (1.00-2.22)

1.37 (1.06-1.78)

Dogs

1.25 (1.03-1.51)

1.32 (1.01-1.73)

1.25 (1.00-1.58)

0.79 (0.47-1.32)

1.22 (0.95-1.58)

Birds

1.60 (1.27-2.02)

1.59 (1.14-2.21)

1.05 (0.75-1.46)

0.93 (0.51-1.70)

1.04 (0.74-1.46)

Farm animals

1.52 (1.14-2.04)

2.23 (1.55-3.21)

1.28 (0.87-1.89)

1.01 (0.47-2.15)

1.57 (1.08-2.28)

Other pets

1.75 (1.41-2.16)

2.30 (1.76-3.01)

1.86 (1.45-2.39)

1.42 (0.89-2.27)

1.35 (1.01-1.81)

Children with allergic predisposition (n = 4,240)

Exposure to pets during pregnancy (ref: no)

0.89 (0.48-1.65)

1.08 (0.50-2.34)

1.17 (0.66-2.07)

0.98 (0.38-2.49)

2.03 (1.16-3.53)

Exposure to pets in the first years (ref: no)

1.09 (0.69-1.73)

1.82 (1.06-3.12)

0.94 (0.59-1.50)

1.28 (0.66-2.45)

1.62 (1.02-2.57)

Current exposure to pets (ref: no) †

1.44 (1.17-1.78)

1.96 (1.52-2.53)

1.20 (0.96-1.49)

0.81 (0.56-1.18)

0.92 (0.72-1.18)

Number and type of pets†

1

1.40 (1.10-1.77)

1.89 (1.42-2.51)

1.21 (0.94-1.55)

0.97 (0.65-1.44)

0.92 (0.70-1.22)

≥2

1.57 (1.10-2.25)

2.16 (1.43-3.29)

1.17 (0.79-1.71)

0.41 (0.17-1.01)

0.92 (0.60-1.43)

Cats

1.74 (1.22-2.46)

1.77 (1.15-2.74)

1.21 (0.84-1.75)

0.70 (0.35-1.39)

0.75 (0.47-1.19)

Dogs

1.53 (1.11-2.12)

2.37 (1.65-3.41)

1.39 (0.99-1.93)

0.87 (0.48-1.57)

1.16 (0.80-1.68)

Birds

0.96 (0.58-1.60)

1.89 (1.10-3.25)

1.14 (0.70-1.87)

0.64 (0.26-1.58)

1.03 (0.62-1.72)

Farm animals

1.52 (0.94-2.48)

2.08 (1.18-3.67)

0.84 (0.46-1.54)

0.33 (0.10-1.35)

0.86 (0.47-1.57)

Other pets

1.37 (0.87-2.16)

1.89 (1.10-3.25)

1.19 (0.74-1.92)

1.16 (0.58-2.33)

0.80 (0.46-1.38)

  1. * Odds ratios (ORs) adjusted for age, gender, body mass index, breast feeding, use of domestic cooking and heating fuels, ETS, area per person, house decorations, parents education, avoidance behavior to pet exposure, commercial health insurance, districts and pet exposure variables.
  2. †All ORs are computed to subjects with no current exposure to pets.