title: Assessment of the indoor environment and implications for health in Roma villages in Slovakia and Romania.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this paper is to provide information on indoor air quality and on the quality of the broader indoor environment of the houses in Roma villages in Slovakia and Romania and to discuss possible implications for health.
  
  
  METHODS
  Indoor air was sampled in 11 houses in a Romanian Roma village and in 19 houses in a Slovakian Roma village. Levels of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), total particulate matter (PM), temperature and humidity were measured. A questionnaire and a checklist were used to obtain additional information on the indoor environment and behavioural factors. We have sampled the same houses in winter and in summer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Levels of CO and CO2 were higher in winter in both countries as compared to summer. The limit value of 10 mg/m3 CO was exceeded in a few cases in both countries. In general, levels of CO, CO2 and PM were higher in Romania. Further environmental and behavioural hazards such as indoor smoking, pets inside or lack of ventilation were found. The reported self-perceived quality of the indoor environment was poor in many aspects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings of CO, CO2 and PM levels suggest that indoor air pollution in Roma settlements has the potential to be a health threat. The fact that the inhabitants spend a relatively long time inside the houses and that a number of additional environmental and behavioural hazards were identified by our study emphasizes the importance of the indoor air quality for health and thus priority attention should be paid to these issues by health authorities and researchers. Further research is essential and study designs must consider cultural background and specific characteristics of the community, especially in order to obtain valid data on health outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Care and Social Work, Trnava University, Trnava, Slovakia. mmajdan@truni.sk
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Majdan
authors.forename: Alexandru
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coman
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gallová
authors.forename: Janka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Duricová
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kállayová
authors.forename: Mária
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kvaková
authors.forename: L'ubos
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bosák
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000032:analysis; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005006:Ethnicity; D006304:Health Status; D006798:Housing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012383:Romania; D012621:Seasons; D018154:Slovakia; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002248:Carbon Monoxide