Associations of second-hand smoke exposure with hand eczema and atopic dermatitis among college students in China

Smoking has been identified as a risk factor for atopic dermatitis and hand eczema, but less is known about the association of exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) with hand eczema. The study aimed to investigate the association of SHS exposure with hand eczema and atopic dermatitis in a group of adolescents. We conducted a cross-sectional study among first-year college students. SHS exposure was measured by a self-administered questionnaire. Skin diseases were diagnosed by dermatologists in the field survey. Mixed models were used to estimate the associations. A total of 20,129 participants that underwent skin examination and a questionnaire survey were included in the analyses. The prevalence rates of atopic dermatitis and hand eczema were 3.86% and 3.35%, respectively. Crude and adjusted estimates consistently showed that exposure to SHS was significantly associated with atopic dermatitis and hand eczema in a dose–response manner. Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder mediated minimal or no effect of SHS on hand eczema and atopic dermatitis. Subgroup analysis by type of hand eczema, and sensitivity analysis by excluding data with center effect showed consistent results. Exposure to SHS is an independent but modifiable risk factor for hand eczema and atopic dermatitis in adolescents.