TABLE V.
Associations between early-life exposures and adult atopy and asthma using multinomial regression in the ALHS
| Early-life exposures* | No exposure | Yes exposure | OR (95% CI)† | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mother lived on farm when pregnant | ||||
| Asthma = no, atopy = no | 372 | 1298 | Ref | |
| Asthma = no, atopy = yes‡ | 75 | 180 | 0.63 (0.46–0.86) | .004 |
| Asthma = yes, atopy = no | 216 | 603 | 0.88 (0.72–1.08) | .22 |
| Asthma = yes, atopy = yes‡ | 99 | 214 | 0.66 (0.50–0.88) | .004 |
| Mother performed farm activities when pregnant | ||||
| Asthma = no, atopy = no | 477 | 1132 | Ref | |
| Asthma = no, atopy = yes | 93 | 153 | 0.64 (0.47–0.85) | .003 |
| Asthma = yes, atopy = no | 234 | 551 | 1.12 (0.92–1.36) | .27 |
| Asthma = yes, atopy = yes | 124 | 173 | 0.63 (0.48–0.83) | .001 |
| Mother worked with farm animals when pregnant | ||||
| Asthma = no, atopy = no | 500 | 1070 | Ref | |
| Asthma = no, atopy = yes | 96 | 141 | 0.65 (0.49–0.88) | .006 |
| Asthma = yes, atopy = no | 234 | 531 | 1.21 (0.99–1.47) | .07 |
| Asthma = yes, atopy = yes | 121 | 164 | 0.72 (0.55–0.95) | .02 |
| Family lived on farm when born | ||||
| Asthma = no, atopy = no | 368 | 1302 | Ref | |
| Asthma = no, atopy = yes | 75 | 181 | 0.62 (0.46–0.85) | .003 |
| Asthma = yes, atopy = no | 214 | 609 | 0.89 (0.73–1.09) | .27 |
| Asthma = yes, atopy = yes | 100 | 214 | 0.64 (0.49–0.86) | .002 |
| Farm animal exposure before age 6 | ||||
| Asthma = no, atopy = no | 321 | 1298 | Ref | |
| Asthma = no, atopy = yes | 65 | 183 | 0.64 (0.46–0.90) | .009 |
| Asthma = yes, atopy = no | 155 | 641 | 1.18 (0.94–1.48) | .15 |
| Asthma = yes, atopy = yes | 76 | 236 | 0.85 (0.63–1.16) | .30 |
| Indoor furry pets before age 6 | ||||
| Asthma = no, atopy = no | 1243 | 410 | Ref | |
| Asthma = no, atopy = yes | 175 | 74 | 1.33 (0.98–1.79) | .06 |
| Asthma = yes, atopy = no | 586 | 234 | 1.18 (0.97–1.43) | .10 |
| Asthma = yes, atopy = yes | 221 | 93 | 1.23 (0.94–1.62) | .13 |
| Parents smoked in house before age 6 | ||||
| Asthma = no, atopy = no | 770 | 872 | Ref | |
| Asthma = no, atopy = yes | 121 | 130 | 0.93 (0.71–1.22) | .60 |
| Asthma = yes, atopy = no | 356 | 450 | 1.13 (0.95–1.34) | .18 |
| Asthma = yes, atopy = yes | 122 | 185 | 1.33 (1.03–1.71) | .03 |
| Breast-fed as infant | ||||
| Asthma = no, atopy = no | 565 | 805 | Ref | |
| Asthma = no, atopy = yes | 91 | 114 | 0.95 (0.68–1.31) | .74 |
| Asthma = yes, atopy = no | 281 | 405 | 1.15 (0.93–1.41) | .19 |
| Asthma = yes, atopy = yes | 117 | 143 | 1.11 (0.83–1.48) | .48 |
| Ever drank raw milk | ||||
| Asthma = no, atopy = no | 337 | 1271 | Ref | |
| Asthma = no, atopy = yes | 62 | 173 | 0.76 (0.54–1.08) | .12 |
| Asthma = yes, atopy = no | 161 | 624 | 1.17 (0.93–1.48) | .17 |
| Asthma = yes, atopy = yes | 70 | 229 | 1.13 (0.82–1.55) | .46 |
| Raw milk was main milk | ||||
| Asthma = no, atopy = no (ref) | 593 | 1034 | ||
| Asthma = no, atopy = yes | 109 | 140 | 0.74 (0.54–1.01) | .06 |
| Asthma = yes, atopy = no | 295 | 510 | 1.15 (0.94–1.40) | .18 |
| Asthma = yes, atopy = yes | 139 | 162 | 0.82 (0.62–1.09) | .18 |
*
Exposures are modeled individually.
†
Logistic regression used to estimate ORs adjusted for age, sex, race, state, and pack years.
‡
Atopy cut point defined as 1 or more allergen-specific IgEs > 0.70 IU/mL.