title: Prevalence of chronic bronchitis-asthma symptoms in biomass fuel exposed females.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated whether exposure to biomass fuel is a potential risk factor for chronic bronchitis and asthma among females in rural area in Van (east Turkey).
  
  
  METHODS
  The effect of indoor pollution producing various respiratory symptoms was studied in 177 females. Of these, 90 were those who used biomass fuel and 87 were nonusers of biomass fuel. A part of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey quastionnaire and British Medical Research Council questionnaire were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Asthma related symptoms (AS) (wheezing, and combination of wheezing without a cold and wheezing with breathlessness) were reported in 63.3% of those who used biomass fuel, and in 12.9% of nonusers (p<0.0001). The use of asthma medication was reported as 3.3% of biomass fuel users, and in 2.7% of nonuser (p>0.05). Long term cough and/or morning cough together with sputum (chronic bronchitis symptoms (BS) was reported as 58.9% in the user group, and 29.4% in the nonuser group (p<0.0001). Significant differences in AS and BS were found between biomass fuel user and nonuser groups in the rural area.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study showed a significant association between symptoms of chronic bronchitis-asthma and biomass fuel usage in females living in a rural area.
authors: Department of Chest Diseases, Yuzuncu Yil University Faculty of Medicine, Van, Turkey, uzunkur@hotmail.com.
authors: Kürşat
authors: K
authors: Uzun
authors: Bülent
authors: B
authors: Ozbay
authors: Erkan
authors: E
authors: Ceylan
authors: Mehmet
authors: M
authors: Gencer
authors: Ismail
authors: I
authors: Zehir