Background: Obesity as well as a reduced microbial exposure, 2 markers of Western lifestyle, might be associated with an increased risk of allergic sensitization.
Objective: We aimed to analyze the interplay of these markers of Western lifestyle on allergic sensitization.
Methods: A questionnaire survey was completed by rural adults (18-45 years). Clinical assessments included those of sensitization (specific IgE) against inhalant allergens and body mass index (BMI). Subjects were grouped on the basis of their recent BMI (obesity: BMI > or =30 kg/m2) and whether they had regular farm contact during the first 3 years of life (farm subjects). Nonobese nonfarm subjects served as the reference group. Overall, 1861 subjects were included in the analyses.
Results: Compared with nonobese nonfarm subjects, nonobese farm subjects showed a decreased odds ratio for sensitization (odds ratio, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.5-0.8). This decrease was not observed in obese subjects (obese nonfarm subjects: 1.2, 0.8-1.9; obese farm subjects: 1.0, 0.6-1.6). Associations were similar for symptoms of allergic rhinitis.
Conclusion: Obesity, as a risk factor for respiratory allergies per se, might diminish or even cancel the protective effect of a farm childhood.
Clinical Implications: The high prevalence of respiratory allergies in inner-city societies despite lower levels of hygiene might be explained by obesity.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2006.08.033 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Greater residential greenness is associated with reduced epigenetic aging in adults.
Sci Rep
January 2025
Office of Research and Development, United States Environmental Protection Agency, 104 Mason Farm Rd., Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA.
Potential pathways linking urban green spaces to improved health include relaxation, stress alleviation, and improved immune system functioning. Epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) is a composite biomarker of biological aging based on DNA methylation measurements; it is predictive of morbidity and mortality. This cross-sectional study of 116 adult residents of a metropolitan area in central North Carolina investigated associations between exposure to residential green spaces and EAA using four previously developed epigenetic age formulas.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Assessing the Impact of Improved Cookstove Technology Trials (ICTs) on Household Air Pollution and Human Health in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Curr Environ Health Rep
January 2025
Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, United States Environmental Protection Agency, 104 Mason Farm Rd., Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA.
Purpose Of Review: A major contributor to household air pollution (HAP) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is unclean cooking fuel. Improved cookstove technology (ICT) interventions have been promoted as a solution, but their impacts on health are unclear. Our aim is to conduct a systematic review to explore the impacts of ICT interventions on health outcomes in SSA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPseudopregnancy in dromedary camels: Characterization, prevalence, and clinical and hormonal properties.
Theriogenology
January 2025
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address:
Pseudopregnancy is the development of signs of pregnancy in the absence of an embryo or fetus. The objectives of this study were to characterize pseudopregnancy in dromedary camels, determine its prevalence in camel farms and practice, identify associated risk factors, and describe its clinical and hormonal properties. The prevalence of pseudopregnancy on 100 camel farms with 4264 total female camels was determined to be 2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnderstanding how agricultural and land management practices affect amphibian biodiversity is essential for conservation efforts in farmland. We investigated the impact of farm dam enhancement on tadpole abundance and growth in a highly modified farming landscape in south-eastern Australia. We completed detailed surveys on 52 farm dams (artificial ponds or agricultural reservoirs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDogs are a susceptible species to human adenovirus 36 infection: New insights into the host range of the virus causing infectious obesity.
Vet Microbiol
January 2025
Division of Microbiology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, C.K. Norwida 31 Street, Wrocław 50-375, Poland. Electronic address:
The prevalence of obesity within the human population is escalating globally yearly. Obesity constitutes a complex ailment with diverse etiological factors. Recently, the infectious side of obesity aetiology, implicating pathogens such as human adenovirus 36 (HAdV-D36), has gained attention.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!