TY - JOUR
T1 - Household hygiene practices in relation to dampness at home and current wheezing and rhino-conjunctivitis among school age children
AU - Zhang, G.
AU - Spickett, J.
AU - Lee, A.H.
AU - Rumchev, K.
AU - Stick, Stephen
PY - 2005
Y1 - 2005
N2 - Good household hygiene practices may improve indoor air quality in the domestic environment. Conversely, a 'hygiene hypothesis' is challenging the importance of hygiene and sanitation at home. This study aims to investigate the relationship between household hygiene practices and dampness at home and current wheezing, asthma and other allergic conditions among Australian children. Nine hundred and ninety-six children from four primary schools in Perth, Western Australia, were recruited for a domestic environmental and health survey during March and April of 2002. The results showed that high cleanliness scores were negatively associated with moulds at home before and after adjustment for age of dwelling (p < 0.001). High ventilation scores were inversely related with damp patches, condensation and moulds at home (p < 0.05). However, households with high cleanliness scores appeared to have significantly higher prevalence of current wheezing (p < 0.05) and current rhino-conjunctivitis (p < 0.05) in children. The association remained even after controlling for confounders such as age and gender of children, asthma history of parents, passive smoking and dampness at home.
AB - Good household hygiene practices may improve indoor air quality in the domestic environment. Conversely, a 'hygiene hypothesis' is challenging the importance of hygiene and sanitation at home. This study aims to investigate the relationship between household hygiene practices and dampness at home and current wheezing, asthma and other allergic conditions among Australian children. Nine hundred and ninety-six children from four primary schools in Perth, Western Australia, were recruited for a domestic environmental and health survey during March and April of 2002. The results showed that high cleanliness scores were negatively associated with moulds at home before and after adjustment for age of dwelling (p < 0.001). High ventilation scores were inversely related with damp patches, condensation and moulds at home (p < 0.05). However, households with high cleanliness scores appeared to have significantly higher prevalence of current wheezing (p < 0.05) and current rhino-conjunctivitis (p < 0.05) in children. The association remained even after controlling for confounders such as age and gender of children, asthma history of parents, passive smoking and dampness at home.
U2 - 10.1111/j.1399-3038.2005.00325.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1399-3038.2005.00325.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 16238584
SN - 0905-6157
VL - 16
SP - 587
EP - 592
JO - Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
JF - Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
IS - 7
ER -