Association of in utero exposure to maternal smoking with reduced semen quality and testis size in adulthood: a cross-sectional study of 1,770 young men from the general population in five European countries

Tina Kold Jensen; Niels Jørgensen; Margus Punab; Trine B Haugen; Jyrki Suominen; Birute Zilaitiene; Antero Horte; Anne-Grethe Andersen; Elisabeth Carlsen; Øystein Magnus; Valentinas Matulevicius; Ingrid Nermoen; Matti Vierula; Niels Keiding; Jorma Toppari; Niels E Skakkebaek

Association of in utero exposure to maternal smoking with reduced semen quality and testis size in adulthood: a cross-sectional study of 1,770 young men from the general population in five European countries

Tina Kold Jensen, Niels Jørgensen, Margus Punab, Trine B Haugen, Jyrki Suominen, Birute Zilaitiene, Antero Horte, Anne-Grethe Andersen, Elisabeth Carlsen, Øystein Magnus, Valentinas Matulevicius, Ingrid Nermoen, Matti Vierula, Niels Keiding, Jorma Toppari, Niels E Skakkebaek

199 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Between 1996 and 1999, the authors invited all young men from five European countries who were undergoing compulsory medical examination for possible military service to participate in a study on male reproductive health. The participation rate was 19% in two cities in Denmark (n = 889), 17% in Oslo, Norway (n = 221), 13% in Turku, Finland (n = 313), 14% in Kaunas, Lithuania (n = 157), and 19% in Tartu, Estonia (n = 190). Each man provided a semen sample, was examined by a physician, and, in collaboration with his mother, completed a questionnaire about general and reproductive health, current smoking habits, and exposure to smoking in utero. After adjustment for confounding factors, men exposed to smoking in utero had a reduction in sperm concentration of 20.1% (95% confidence interval (CI): 6.8, 33.5) and a reduction in total sperm count of 24.5% (95% CI: 9.5, 39.5) in comparison with unexposed men. Percentages of motile and morphologically normal sperm cells were 1.85 (95% CI: 0.46, 3.23) and 0.64 (95% CI: -0.02, 1.30) percentage points lower, respectively, among men exposed in utero, and exposed men had a 1.15-ml (95% CI: 0.66, 1.64) smaller testis size. The associations were present when data from the study centers were analyzed separately (though not in Lithuania, where only 1% of mothers smoked during pregnancy), although the strength of the association varied. Maternal smoking may have long-term implications for the reproductive health of the offspring. This is another good reason to advise pregnant women to avoid smoking.

Original language	English
Journal	American Journal of Epidemiology
Volume	159
Issue number	1
Pages (from-to)	49-58
Number of pages	9
ISSN	0002-9262
Publication status	Published - 2004

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Jensen, T. K., Jørgensen, N., Punab, M., Haugen, T. B., Suominen, J., Zilaitiene, B., Horte, A., Andersen, A-G., Carlsen, E., Magnus, Ø., Matulevicius, V., Nermoen, I., Vierula, M., Keiding, N., Toppari, J., & Skakkebaek, N. E. (2004). Association of in utero exposure to maternal smoking with reduced semen quality and testis size in adulthood: a cross-sectional study of 1,770 young men from the general population in five European countries. American Journal of Epidemiology, 159(1), 49-58.

Association of in utero exposure to maternal smoking with reduced semen quality and testis size in adulthood: a cross-sectional study of 1,770 young men from the general population in five European countries. / Jensen, Tina Kold; Jørgensen, Niels; Punab, Margus et al.

In: American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 159, No. 1, 2004, p. 49-58.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Jensen, TK, Jørgensen, N, Punab, M, Haugen, TB, Suominen, J, Zilaitiene, B, Horte, A, Andersen, A-G, Carlsen, E, Magnus, Ø, Matulevicius, V, Nermoen, I, Vierula, M, Keiding, N, Toppari, J & Skakkebaek, NE 2004, 'Association of in utero exposure to maternal smoking with reduced semen quality and testis size in adulthood: a cross-sectional study of 1,770 young men from the general population in five European countries', American Journal of Epidemiology, vol. 159, no. 1, pp. 49-58.

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title = "Association of in utero exposure to maternal smoking with reduced semen quality and testis size in adulthood: a cross-sectional study of 1,770 young men from the general population in five European countries",

abstract = "Between 1996 and 1999, the authors invited all young men from five European countries who were undergoing compulsory medical examination for possible military service to participate in a study on male reproductive health. The participation rate was 19% in two cities in Denmark (n = 889), 17% in Oslo, Norway (n = 221), 13% in Turku, Finland (n = 313), 14% in Kaunas, Lithuania (n = 157), and 19% in Tartu, Estonia (n = 190). Each man provided a semen sample, was examined by a physician, and, in collaboration with his mother, completed a questionnaire about general and reproductive health, current smoking habits, and exposure to smoking in utero. After adjustment for confounding factors, men exposed to smoking in utero had a reduction in sperm concentration of 20.1% (95% confidence interval (CI): 6.8, 33.5) and a reduction in total sperm count of 24.5% (95% CI: 9.5, 39.5) in comparison with unexposed men. Percentages of motile and morphologically normal sperm cells were 1.85 (95% CI: 0.46, 3.23) and 0.64 (95% CI: -0.02, 1.30) percentage points lower, respectively, among men exposed in utero, and exposed men had a 1.15-ml (95% CI: 0.66, 1.64) smaller testis size. The associations were present when data from the study centers were analyzed separately (though not in Lithuania, where only 1% of mothers smoked during pregnancy), although the strength of the association varied. Maternal smoking may have long-term implications for the reproductive health of the offspring. This is another good reason to advise pregnant women to avoid smoking.",

author = "Jensen, {Tina Kold} and Niels J{\o}rgensen and Margus Punab and Haugen, {Trine B} and Jyrki Suominen and Birute Zilaitiene and Antero Horte and Anne-Grethe Andersen and Elisabeth Carlsen and {\O}ystein Magnus and Valentinas Matulevicius and Ingrid Nermoen and Matti Vierula and Niels Keiding and Jorma Toppari and Skakkebaek, {Niels E}",

note = "Keywords: Adolescent; Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Europe; Female; Genital Diseases, Male; Humans; Male; Military Personnel; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Questionnaires; Semen; Smoking; Sperm Count; Testis",

year = "2004",

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journal = "American Journal of Epidemiology",

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T1 - Association of in utero exposure to maternal smoking with reduced semen quality and testis size in adulthood: a cross-sectional study of 1,770 young men from the general population in five European countries

AU - Jensen, Tina Kold

AU - Jørgensen, Niels

AU - Punab, Margus

AU - Haugen, Trine B

AU - Suominen, Jyrki

AU - Zilaitiene, Birute

AU - Horte, Antero

AU - Andersen, Anne-Grethe

AU - Carlsen, Elisabeth

AU - Magnus, Øystein

AU - Matulevicius, Valentinas

AU - Nermoen, Ingrid

AU - Vierula, Matti

AU - Keiding, Niels

AU - Toppari, Jorma

AU - Skakkebaek, Niels E

N1 - Keywords: Adolescent; Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Europe; Female; Genital Diseases, Male; Humans; Male; Military Personnel; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Questionnaires; Semen; Smoking; Sperm Count; Testis

PY - 2004

Y1 - 2004

N2 - Between 1996 and 1999, the authors invited all young men from five European countries who were undergoing compulsory medical examination for possible military service to participate in a study on male reproductive health. The participation rate was 19% in two cities in Denmark (n = 889), 17% in Oslo, Norway (n = 221), 13% in Turku, Finland (n = 313), 14% in Kaunas, Lithuania (n = 157), and 19% in Tartu, Estonia (n = 190). Each man provided a semen sample, was examined by a physician, and, in collaboration with his mother, completed a questionnaire about general and reproductive health, current smoking habits, and exposure to smoking in utero. After adjustment for confounding factors, men exposed to smoking in utero had a reduction in sperm concentration of 20.1% (95% confidence interval (CI): 6.8, 33.5) and a reduction in total sperm count of 24.5% (95% CI: 9.5, 39.5) in comparison with unexposed men. Percentages of motile and morphologically normal sperm cells were 1.85 (95% CI: 0.46, 3.23) and 0.64 (95% CI: -0.02, 1.30) percentage points lower, respectively, among men exposed in utero, and exposed men had a 1.15-ml (95% CI: 0.66, 1.64) smaller testis size. The associations were present when data from the study centers were analyzed separately (though not in Lithuania, where only 1% of mothers smoked during pregnancy), although the strength of the association varied. Maternal smoking may have long-term implications for the reproductive health of the offspring. This is another good reason to advise pregnant women to avoid smoking.

AB - Between 1996 and 1999, the authors invited all young men from five European countries who were undergoing compulsory medical examination for possible military service to participate in a study on male reproductive health. The participation rate was 19% in two cities in Denmark (n = 889), 17% in Oslo, Norway (n = 221), 13% in Turku, Finland (n = 313), 14% in Kaunas, Lithuania (n = 157), and 19% in Tartu, Estonia (n = 190). Each man provided a semen sample, was examined by a physician, and, in collaboration with his mother, completed a questionnaire about general and reproductive health, current smoking habits, and exposure to smoking in utero. After adjustment for confounding factors, men exposed to smoking in utero had a reduction in sperm concentration of 20.1% (95% confidence interval (CI): 6.8, 33.5) and a reduction in total sperm count of 24.5% (95% CI: 9.5, 39.5) in comparison with unexposed men. Percentages of motile and morphologically normal sperm cells were 1.85 (95% CI: 0.46, 3.23) and 0.64 (95% CI: -0.02, 1.30) percentage points lower, respectively, among men exposed in utero, and exposed men had a 1.15-ml (95% CI: 0.66, 1.64) smaller testis size. The associations were present when data from the study centers were analyzed separately (though not in Lithuania, where only 1% of mothers smoked during pregnancy), although the strength of the association varied. Maternal smoking may have long-term implications for the reproductive health of the offspring. This is another good reason to advise pregnant women to avoid smoking.

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 14693659

SN - 0002-9262

VL - 159

SP - 49

EP - 58

JO - American Journal of Epidemiology

JF - American Journal of Epidemiology

IS - 1

ER -