Introduction: Exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) is a world public health concern. Children are a vulnerable group. Accumulated exposure could increase health risks. The aim was to evaluate exposure to SHS in children measured through hair nicotine concentrations and its association with home air nicotine concentrations. Methods: Cross-sectional design study in schoolchildren between 6 and 8 y.old. A trained interviewer applied a standardized questionnaire to the mother, took the child's hair sample and placed a passive monitor in the living room to measure the indoor air nicotine concentration during 7 days. The association between air nicotine and hair nicotine was evaluated with logistic regression models. Results: 184 children were evaluated, 58.7% were female, 38.5% hair nicotine concentations were above the limit of detection (LD) (0.058 ng/mg). When we measure air nicotine concentrations, 9.1% of the samples were above the limit of detection (0.026 μg/m3). We dichotomized both variables (over and below LD). Factors associated with detectable air nicotine concentrations were frequency of tobacco consumption (does not smoke (reference), some days OR=4.71; 95%CI 0.99-22.22, every day OR=12.62; 95%CI 3.25- 48.96); parental tobacco use within the household OR=13.68;95%CI 4,35- 43,11; parental tobacco use outside the home OR=5,46;95%CI 1,94-15,41. We found a significant association between hair nicotine concentrations and air nicotine concentrations after adjusting by age, sex and type of school (public/ private as proxy of socioeconomic level) (OR= 3.13; 95%CI 1.09-8.99). Conclusion: Considering that home is the main source of exposure, that children are exposed involuntarily and that there is human evidence linking SHS with cancer and other acute and chronic diseases, it is urgently needed to sensitize parents on the risks of exposure to SHS and to facilitate the adoption of preventive strategies such as smoke-free homes in the homes of smoking parents.
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