LAUSR

BACKGROUND Exposure to pets can be a predisposing factor in the development of certain diseases, including allergic diseases. OBJECTIVE We analyzed the role that exposure to indoor dogs and cats plays in the prevalence of allergic diseases. METHODS We examined the cross-sectional data of 1056 women and 936 men aged 15 to 18 years; these individuals were selected through stratified and cluster random sampling. We asked all participants about their exposure to indoor dogs and cats during the year that preceded our study. The prevalence of allergic diseases was determined through core questions taken from The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire. RESULTS The prevalence was 12.7% (95% CI: 11.3%-14.2%) for asthma, 9.0% (95% CI: 7.8%-10.4%) for allergic rhinitis, and 5.2% (95% CI: 4.3%-6.2%) for atopic dermatitis. The multivariate analyses showed that exposure to indoor dogs, but not indoor cats, was associated with asthma prevalence (aOR 1.37; 95% CI: 1.03-1.83), as was male sex (aOR=1.42; 95% CI: 1.08-1.86), a personal history of allergic rhinitis (aOR=3.24; 95% CI: 2.25-4.66), and a maternal history of asthma (aOR=3.06; 95% CI: 1.89-4.98). The population attributable risk for exposure to indoor dogs was 18%. Notably, neither allergic rhinitis nor atopic dermatitis was found to be associated with dog or cat exposure (p> 0.05). CONCLUSION Exposure to dogs in late adolescence is a factor associated with asthma, although its contribution to the development of asthma should be investigated in new studies.