Pilotstudie zu Lebensgewohnheiten und Lebensumfeld von Patienten mit selbstberichteter multipler Chemikaliensensitivität, Duftstoffallergien oder Polyposis nasi

Abstract

Background: Environmental factors are discussed as possible causes and/or triggers of multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), fragrance allergies (FA) and polyposis nasi (PN). Ajoint effect organ of MCS, FA and PN is the respiratory tract. Therefore, aim of the present study was to characterize and compare living conditions and living factors of persons with self-reported MCS (sMCS), FA or PN. Material and methods: Dependence of variable distribution of a standardized questionnaire of living conditions and living factors was investigated between the patient groups using Pearsons Χ 2 test. In case of significance, pairwise comparisons were done with Fisher's exact test and were Bonferroni adjusted. Results: The sMCS-group consisted of 14 men and 45 women, the FA group of 19 men and 25 women and the PN group of 42 men and 27 women. Questionnaire variables with a significantly different distribution between the patient groups were: chemicals as suspected cause of health disturbances (p < 0.001), use of perfume (p < 0.001), mould exposure at home (p = 0.035), age of furniture at home (p = 0.001), use of disinfections (p = 0.006), insecticides (p = 0.004), daily time spent at home (p = 0.032), exposures to photocopying machines (p < 0.001) and to odors (p < 0.001) at workplace. Mainly, the questionnaire variables investigated were significantly different distributed between the sMCS- and the FA-/PN groups. Conclusions: The different distribution of the questionnaire variables investigated between the sMCS-, FA- and PN group regarded environmental factors with odorous components. Reactions to these factors were lesser pronounced in the FA- than in the sMCS group. In the PN group no environmental association was observed.