Indoor environment and respiratory symptoms in children living in the Dutch–German borderland

Abstract

Objective To investigate the relation between indoor environmental risk factors and respiratory symptoms in 7–8-year-old children living in the Dutch–German borderland. Methods A nested case-control study was conducted among children participating in a large longitudinal study on respiratory health. Parents of all 781 children with respiratory complaints and an equal number of randomly selected controls were asked to complete a questionnaire, including questions on indoor environment. Results The parents of 1191 children (76.2%) participated. Past exposure to environmental (OR=2.73, 95% CI 1.14–6.67) as well as in utero exposure (OR=2.28, 95% CI 1.15–4.53) to tobacco smoke, use of an unvented geyser for water heating (OR=3.01, 95% CI 1.21–7.56), long-term exposure to dampness (OR=2.98, 95% CI 1.10–8.28) or pets (OR=2.18, 95% CI 1.39–3.42) increased the risk of asthmatic symptoms in 7–8-year-old children. A middle or low socio-economic status also increased the risk of asthmatic symptoms. An inverse association with asthmatic symptoms was seen for wall-to-wall carpeting (OR=0.57, 95% CI 0.33–0.95) and insulation measures (OR=0.46, 95% CI 0.25–0.83). Except for the presence of an unvented geyser, these environmental risk factors also presented a risk for coughing symptoms in children. Conclusion This study showed an increased risk of respiratory symptoms in children exposed to several indoor environmental risk factors.