Estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for the association between mould/dampness current exposure and wheeze/asthma in the literature (questionnaire based studies)
| Author (publication year) | n | Age | Design. Definition of mould/dampness exposure | Symptom/disease | OR (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present study | 17918 | 7 | Cross sectional. Positive answer to the question: “Have you seen mould/dampness/fungi on the walls or on the ceiling of your child’s bedroom recently?” | Wheeze | 1.78 (1.43–2.20) |
| Asthma | 1.29 (1.00–1.67) | ||||
| 11957 | 13 | Wheeze | 1.33 (1.02–1.74) | ||
| Asthma | 1.38 (1.03–1.85) | ||||
| Jedrychowski et al (1998)9 | 1129 | 9 | Cross sectional. Presence on the walls of any one of: (1) small moisture stains; (2) larger moisture stains; (3) visible mould on small surface; (4) visible mould on larger surface | Wheeze | 1.63 (1.07–2.48) |
| Fisher et al (1998)36 | 16005 | 7–11 | Cross sectional. Presence on the walls of damp spots or mould during the last two years | Wheeze | 1.29 (1.06–1.58) to 1.60 (1.30–1.97) |
| Yang et al (1997)23 | 4164 | 6–12 | Cross sectional. Presence of any one of: (1) subjective dampness assessment (home was considered damp by the residents); (2) visible mould or mildew on surfaces inside the home during the past year; (3) appearance of standing water within the home/water damage/leaks of water into the building | Wheeze | 1.81 (1.32–2.47) |
| Asthma | 1.73 (1.20–2.49) | ||||
| Dekker et al (1991)38 | 14059 | 5–8 | Cross sectional. Presence of any one of: (1) visible mould growth; (2) wet or damp spots on indoor surfaces; (3) basement water damage or leaking | Wheeze | 1.61 (1.39–1.85) |
| Dales et al (1991)28 | 14948 | 5–8 | Cross sectional. Presence of any one of: (1) visible mould growth; (2) wet or damp spots on indoor surfaces; (3) basement water damage or leaking | Asthma | 1.45 (1.23–1.71) |