Abstract
Aim The aim of this study was to (1) compare the prevalence of asthma and allergy between rural and urban schoolchildren and their exposure to indoor air pollution in classrooms and (2) estimate the associations between these two factors. Subjects and methods Two cross-sectional studies at school were used. Urban population constituted 1156 children who participated to the French Six Cities Study in Clermont-Ferrand. A similar study was conducted in Auvergne among 271 children in regular contact with farm animals. During one week, concentrations of several pollutants (nitrogen dioxide, fine particles, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde) were objectively assessed. Results Lower prevalence of rhinoconjunctivitis and allergic sensitization was observed among rural children compared to urban ones (8.7% vs. 12.1% and 14.8% vs. 28.8%, respectively). Indoor air quality in classrooms was also better in this environment, with concentrations up to six times lower. Higher prevalence of asthma and allergies was observed among children who attended school with high concentrations of indoor pollutants. Conclusion This study confirms previous ones which suggest a protective effect of rural environment on allergies. Moreover, it underlines the importance of monitoring indoor air quality at school, especially in urban environment. However, other investigations including larger sample sizes are needed.
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