Molecular epidemiological study to evaluate the risk of low birth weight caused by heat-not-burn tobacco

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K21706
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 58:Society medicine, nursing, and related fields
• Research Institution: University of Fukui
• Principal Investigator: HIRAKU Yusuke 福井大学, 学術研究院医学系部門, 教授 (30324510)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 吉田 好雄 福井大学, 学術研究院医学系部門, 教授 (60220688)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-07-30 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 加熱式たばこ / 出生時体重 / リスク評価 / 社会経済学的要因 / 受動喫煙

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In Japan, the prevalence of low birth weight has been recently increasing, and maternal smoking is an important risk factor. Fetal undernutrition and growth retardation are risk factors for chronic diseases in adulthood. In this study, we carried out an epidemiological study with a questionnaire survey to determine the risk of low birth weight due to heat-not-burn (HNB) tobacco among pregnant women. Due to small number of smokers, there are no evidence to clarify the association between HNB tobacco and birth weight. Statistical analysis revealed that socioeconomic factors, such as education and household income, are associated with smoking habits and passive smoking of cigarettes and HNB tobacco.

Free Research Field

衛生学、公衆衛生学、環境医学、産業医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

加熱式たばこの健康影響を疫学調査で解明するには年単位の長期間を要すると考えられる。しかし、妊娠女性を対象とした研究を行うことにより、月単位の曝露で健康影響を解明できる可能性が期待できるとともに、リスク評価に資するバイオマーカーの開発に寄与できる。研究成果は、妊娠中の喫煙をなくすという厚生労働行政の目的の達成に貢献するとともに、児の成長後の生活の質(QOL)の改善や健康寿命の延長、医療費の削減などに寄与する可能性が期待できる。