Dust weight and asthma prevalence in the National Survey of Lead and Allergens in Housing (NSLAH).
BACKGROUND
Settled dust has been used in studies to assess exposures to allergens and other biologically active components, but it has not been considered in the aggregate in relation to respiratory health outcomes in the general population.


OBJECTIVE
We addressed whether total house dust weight, an index of total dust exposure, was associated with respiratory health outcomes in the National Survey of Lead and Allergens in Housing (1998-1999) (NSLAH).


METHODS
NSLAH was a cross-sectional survey designed to represent permanently occupied housing units in the United States. In each household, a questionnaire was administered and settled dust was vacuumed from five locations. Linear regression models were used to identify predictors of dust weight; logistic regression models were used to examine the relationship between dust weight and asthma and wheeze.


RESULTS
Dust weight samples were available for 829 households, and survey information was available for 2,456 participants (children and adults). Lower income, older homes, household pets, having a smoker in the house, and less frequent cleaning predicted higher dust weight levels in U.S. households. Higher levels of dust weight were associated with greater odds of current asthma and wheeze. The strongest associations were seen for wheeze [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.99; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.21-3.28 for bedroom bed dust; OR = 2.81; 95% CI, 1.52-5.21 for upholstery dust). These associations persisted when adjusting for allergen and endotoxin exposures.


CONCLUSIONS
Dust weight, an index of total dust exposure in the home, may contribute to respiratory outcomes independently of the exposure to specific components.
Elliott
Leslie
L
Laboratory of Respiratory Biology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA.
Arbes
Samuel J
SJ
Harvey
Eric S
ES
Lee
Robert C
RC
Salo
Päivi M
PM
Cohn
Richard D
RD
London
Stephanie J
SJ
Zeldin
Darryl C
DC
D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D000485:Allergens / Q000032:analysis*; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D006306:Health Surveys; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis; D010316:Particle Size; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014481:United States
D000485:Allergens; D004391:Dust; D007854:Lead