title: [Domestic water hardness and prevalence of atopic eczema in Castellon (Spain) school children].
abstract: Water hardness has been associated with atopic eczema (AE) prevalence in two epidemiologic studies carried out on schoolchildren in England and Japan.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the association between the prevalence of AE and domestic water hardness.
  
  
  METHODS
  The prevalence of AE was obtained from The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood, carried out in six towns in the province of Castellón on schoolchildren 6-7 and 13-14 years of age, using a standard questionnaire in 2002. Three zones were defined according to domestic water hardness of the six study localities: <200 mg/l, 200-250 mg/l, and >300 mg/l. A logistic regression analysis was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The lifetime prevalence of AE in schoolchildren 6-7 years of age was higher with the increment of water hardness, 28.6, 30.5 and 36.5% respectively for each zone; between zone 1 and zone 3, the adjusted odds ratios (ORa) were 1.58 (95% Confidence Intervals [CI] 1.04-2.39) (adjusted tendency test p=0.034). Prevalence of symptoms of AE within the past year were 4.7, 4.5, and 10.4%, respectively by zone; between zone 1 and zone 3, the ORa was 2.29 (95% CI 1.19-4.42) (adjusted tendency test p=0,163). For 13-14 year-old schoolchildren, tendencies to lifetime prevalence of AE at any time or in the past year were not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that in 6-7 year-old schoolchildren, water hardness in the area where they live has some relevance to the development of the disease.
authors: Sección de Epidemiología, Centro Salud Pública, Castellón, Spain. arnedo_alb@gva.es
authors: Alberto
authors: A
authors: Arnedo-Pena
authors: Juan
authors: J
authors: Bellido-Blasco
authors: Joan
authors: J
authors: Puig-Barbera
authors: Adrián
authors: A
authors: Artero-Civera
authors: Joan Baptista
authors: JB
authors: Campos-Cruañes
authors: M Rosario
authors: MR
authors: Pac-Sa
authors: Jose Luis
authors: JL
authors: Villamarín-Vázquez
authors: Carlos
authors: C
authors: Felis-Dauder
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002119:Calcium Carbonate / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002713:Chlorine / Q000032:analysis; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006244:Hardness; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D002713:Chlorine; D002119:Calcium Carbonate