title: Exposure to environmental factors and relationship to allergic rhinitis and/or asthma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Studies analyzing risk factors, multiple indoor and outdoor factors related to asthma and/or allergic rhinitis (AR) in childhood, are very rare. The presented study was carried out to simultaneously assess host-related, indoor and particulate matter exposure with current allergic rhinitis (AR) and/or asthma in children (6-7 years) and adolescents (13-14 years).
  
  
  METHODS
  The method was a cross-sectional population-based study in which participants were diagnosed by means of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) written questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exposure to indoor risk factors were verified in 1,302 individuals, in which the prevalence of AR, asthma and AR-asthma comorbidity were 37.3%, 28.4%, and 16%, for children and 31.5%, 16.2%, and 10.5% for adolescents, respectively. Smoking during pregnancy was associated with current asthma (OR=1.5), second-hand smoking with AR-asthma comorbidity (OR=1.4) and visible mold on the walls with current AR, asthma, and AR-asthma comorbidity (OR=1.6). In a subgroup of 590 children, in addition to the indoor risk factors, exposure to PM10 was assessed. In this joint analysis, there was association with the same previously mentioned risk factors (p values ≤ 0.5) and a negative association to PM10 (p ≤ 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that avoidance of smoking during pregnancy, second-hand smoking and exposure to mould at home can contribute to reducing current AR and/or current asthma. Exposure to PM10 was not associated with the prevalence rate of these diseases.
authors.affiliation: The State of Minas Gerais Hospital Foundation, João Penido Hospital, Juiz de Fora, Brazil.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Azalim
authors.affiliation: Federal University of São João del-Rei, Health Sciences Centre, Health Sciences Postgraduate Program, Divinópolis, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Camargos
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Minas Gerais, Medical School, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antonio L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Minas Gerais, Dentistry School, Department of Surgery, Pathology and Clinical, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Ines B
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Senna
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Minas Gerais, Exact Sciences Institute, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Emilia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Minas Gerais, Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Wilfrid
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schwabe Keller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D005658:Fungi / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D065631:Rhinitis, Allergic / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution