Association between smoking type and prevalence of atopic dermatitis and asthma in men and women.

Aim: This study aimed to examine the association between smoking type and the prevalence of atopic dermatitis and asthma in men and women. Background: Cases of allergic diseases have been steadily increasing worldwide. Smoking is associated with serious diseases. Only a few studies have assessed the association between smoking and atopic dermatitis and asthma in adults, and gender difference studies are scarce despite a significant difference in smoking rates. Methods: We conducted a secondary cross‐sectional analysis of 17 886 adults with atopic dermatitis and 17 889 with asthma aged ≥19 years, using raw data from the Fifth Korea national Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010‐2012). Results: The prevalence of atopic dermatitis in men was not associated with active or passive smoking, whereas asthma prevalence in men was associated with indoor passive smoking exposure at home. We found that atopic dermatitis prevalence in women was associated with current smoking status, whereas asthma prevalence in women was associated with the presence of an indoor daily smoker at home and indoor passive smoking exposure at home. Conclusion: Asthmatic adults should be informed of the hazards of passive smoking, and women with atopic dermatitis should in particular be dissuaded from smoking. What is already known about this topic? The number of cases of allergic diseases has been steadily increasing worldwide over the past few decades.The association between allergic diseases and smoking remains controversial, and further clarification is required.There is a significant difference between the smoking rates of men and women. What this paper adds? There were associations between smoking types and the prevalence of atopic dermatitis and asthma for men and women.The prevalence of atopic dermatitis in men was not associated with active or passive smoking, whereas asthma prevalence in men was associated with indoor passive smoking exposure at home.We found that atopic dermatitis prevalence in women was associated with current smoking status, whereas asthma prevalence in women was associated with the presence of an indoor daily smoker at home and indoor passive smoking exposure at home. The implications of this study: Asthmatic adults should be informed of the hazards of passive smoking.Women with atopic dermatitis should especially be dissuaded from smoking.Education is also needed to explain the hazards of passive smoking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]