The influence of second-hand cigarette smoke exposure during childhood and active cigarette smoking on Crohn's Disease phenotype defined by the montreal classification scheme in a Western Cape Population, South Africa

Abstract

Smoking may worsen the disease outcomes in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD), however the effect of exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke during childhood is unclear. In South Africa, no such literature exists. The aim of this study was to investigate whether disease phenotype, at time of diagnosis of CD, was associated with exposure to second-hand cigarette during childhood and active cigarette smoking habits.