title: Mould and dampness in dwelling places, and onset of asthma: the population-based cohort ECRHS.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study new onset of adult asthma in relation to dampness and moulds in dwelling places.
  
  
  METHODS
  Totally, 7104 young adults from 13 countries who participated in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS I and II) who did not report respiratory symptoms or asthma at baseline were followed prospectively for 9 years. Asthma was assessed by questionnaire data on asthmatic symptoms and a positive metacholine challenge test at follow-up. Data on the current dwelling was collected at the beginning and at the end of the follow-up period by means of an interviewer-led questionnaire, and by inspection. Relative risks (RR) for new onset asthma were calculated with log-binomial models adjusted for age, sex, smoking and study centre.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was an excess of new asthma in subjects in homes with reports on water damage (RR 1.46; 95% CI 1.09 to 1.94) and indoor moulds (RR=1.30; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.68) at baseline. A dose-response effect was observed. The effect was stronger in those with multisensitisation and in those sensitised to moulds. Observed damp spots were related to new asthma (RR=1.49; 95% CI 1.00 to 2.22). The population-attributable risk was 3-10% for reported, and 3-14% for observed dampness/moulds.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dampness and mould are common in dwellings, and contribute to asthma incidence in adults.
authors: Department of Medical Science, Uppsala University and Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden. dan.norback@medsci.uu.se
authors: Dan
authors: D
authors: Norbäck
authors: Jan-Paul
authors: JP
authors: Zock
authors: Estel
authors: E
authors: Plana
authors: Joachim
authors: J
authors: Heinrich
authors: Cecilie
authors: C
authors: Svanes
authors: Jordi
authors: J
authors: Sunyer
authors: Nino
authors: N
authors: Künzli
authors: Simona
authors: S
authors: Villani
authors: Mario
authors: M
authors: Olivieri
authors: Argo
authors: A
authors: Soon
authors: Deborah
authors: D
authors: Jarvis
mesh_terms: D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005658:Fungi; D006306:Health Surveys; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D014867:Water