Passive smoking exposure and incidence and disease outcomes of inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Abstract
Introduction Inflammatory bowel disease includes a range of chronic gastrointestinal disorders, most commonly Crohn’s Disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the effect of passive smoking on incidence and disease outcomes of CD and UC. Methods This review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Meta-analysis was performed according to the Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines. The literature was systematically searched from inception until May 2025 to identify relevant studies from a range of databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus and Cochrane Library. Results The initial search yielded 151 articles, with 32 studies deemed relevant for inclusion. Significant associations with passive smoking exposure were seen in 8 out of 20 studies for increased risk of CD and 3 out of 17 studies for UC. Meta-analysis found that passive smoking during childhood (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.05–1.35) and exposure to smoking during pregnancy (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.03–1.55) was associated with increase in odds of CD; however neither exposure was associated with an increased odds of UC. Associations with CD were also not confirmed in sensitivity analysis of higher-quality studies. Passive smoking was associated with disease complications including pouch-itis and backwash-ileitis in UC; while exposure to smoking during…
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Evidence Hub reads this as a meta-analysis. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid.
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