Childhood asthma and the indoor environment in a subtropical area.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between indoor environmental factors and childhood asthma in a subtropical area.


METHODS
A case-control study was performed using participants of a prevalence survey that included 165 schoolchildren with asthma and 165 age- and gender-matched control subjects.


METHODS
The study was confined to 4,164 schoolchildren aged 6 to 12 years attending eight primary schools in Kaohsiung County rural municipalities who participated in a prevalence study concerning the health effects of the indoor environment.


METHODS
Cases (n=165) were defined as children with current asthma confirmed by a physician. Control subjects (n=165) were selected from the same school and class and matched for age and gender, and they did not have a previous diagnosis of asthma, history of physician-confirmed atopic diseases, persistent wheezing, cough, or phlegm, or reported chest illness, pneumonia, or bronchitis.


RESULTS
Information regarding the home environment was obtained using a structured written questionnaire, completed by the parents of the children. Of the many indoor environmental factors included in this study, only home dampness showed an association with asthma (odds ratio=2.65).


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that dampness in the home is a new public health issue in subtropical areas.
Yang
C Y
CY
School of Public Health, Kaohsiung Medical College, Taiwan, ROC. chunyuh@cc.kmc.edu.tw
Lin
M C
MC
Hwang
K C
KC
D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014329:Tropical Climate