title: Asthma and chemical hypersensitivity: prevalence, etiology, and age of onset.
abstract: This study investigates asthma's national prevalence and potential overlap with chemical hypersensitivity. It also examines asthma's etiology, age of onset, and demographic characteristics. Data were collected from a geographically weighted random sample of the continental U.S. (1058 cases), in four seasonal cohorts (2005-2006). The study found that 12.9% of the sample report asthma, 11.6% report chemical hypersensitivity, and 31.4% of those with asthma report chemical hypersensitivity. Among asthmatics, 38% report irritation from scented products, 37.2% report health problems from air fresheners, and 13.6% report their asthma was caused by toxic exposure. Asthma cases affected each racial/ethic group in roughly the same proportion, with nearly 50% classified as childhood onset.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Studies, University of West Georgia, Pafford 128, Carrollton, Georgia 30118, USA. scaress@westga.edu
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Caress
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Steinemann