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(Chest. 1998;114:393-397.)
© 1998 American College of Chest Physicians

Childhood Asthma and the Indoor Environment in a Subtropical Area

Chun-Yuh Yang PhD, MPH1; Meng-Chiao Lin MD, MPH1; and Kuang-Chi Hwang MD1

1 From the School of Public Health, Kaohsiung Medical College, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC.

Chun-Yuh Yang, MD, School of Public Health, Kaohsiung Medical College, 100 Shih-Chuan 1st RD, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 80708; email: chunyuh{at}cc.kmc.edu.tw

Study objectives: The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between indoor environmental factors and childhood asthma in a subtropical area.

Design: A case-control study was performed using participants of a prevalence survey that included 165 schoolchildren with asthma and 165 age- and gender-matched control subjects.

Setting: The study was confined to 4,164 schoolchildren aged 6 to 12 years attending eight primary schools in Kaohsiung County rural municipalities who participated in a prevalence study concerning the health effects of the indoor environment.

Participants: Cases (n=165) were defined as children with current asthma confirmed by a physician. Control subjects (n=165) were selected from the same school and class and matched for age and gender, and they did not have a previous diagnosis of asthma, history of physician-confirmed atopic diseases, persistent wheezing, cough, or phlegm, or reported chest illness, pneumonia, or bronchitis.

Measurements and results: Information regarding the home environment was obtained using a structured written questionnaire, completed by the parents of the children. Of the many indoor environmental factors included in this study, only home dampness showed an association with asthma (odds ratio=2.65).

Conclusions: We conclude that dampness in the home is a new public health issue in subtropical areas.

Key Words: asthma • case-control study • dampness • indoor environment

Submitted on October 21, 1997
Accepted on January 8, 1998




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