Early house moves, indoor air, heating methods and asthma.
OBJECTIVE
To assess whether house moves or certain housing conditions are a risk factor for the development of childhood asthma.


METHODS
A case-control study of asthmatic and non-atopic children aged 4-16 years.


METHODS
One hundred children with confirmed asthma in a group general practice of 11000 patients in Plymouth, U.K. Each was matched by age and gender with a child with no history of wheeze, eczema or hay fever.


METHODS
House moves and main heating methods, prior to the age of onset of asthma in cases and controls.


RESULTS
There was a non-significant association between early house moves and the subsequent development of asthma. No association was found with heating methods, except for ducted-air heating which, because of the small numbers involved could have occurred by chance. None of the other factors studied affecting indoor air showed an association.


CONCLUSIONS
Moving house at an early age may increase the risk of developing asthma, or may be associated with other more important risk factors, such as increased general mobility and hence, exposure to viral infections. Heating methods or other factors likely to affect the indoor air quality in early life were not useful predictors of subsequent asthma in children.
Jones
R C
RC
The Roborough Surgery 1, Eastcote Close, UK.
Hughes
C R
CR
Wright
D
D
Baumer
J H
JH
D000293:Adolescent; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006361:Heating / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012606:Scotland; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution