RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Mould and dampness in dwelling places, and onset of asthma: the population-based cohort ECRHS
JF Occupational and Environmental Medicine
JO Occup Environ Med
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 325
OP 331
DO 10.1136/oemed-2012-100963
VO 70
IS 5
A1 Dan Norbäck
A1 Jan-Paul Zock
A1 Estel Plana
A1 Joachim Heinrich
A1 Cecilie Svanes
A1 Jordi Sunyer
A1 Nino Künzli
A1 Simona Villani
A1 Mario Olivieri
A1 Argo Soon
A1 Deborah Jarvis
YR 2013
UL http://oem.bmj.com/content/70/5/325.abstract
AB Objectives To study new onset of adult asthma in relation to dampness and moulds in dwelling places. Methods Totally, 7104 young adults from 13 countries who participated in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS I and II) who did not report respiratory symptoms or asthma at baseline were followed prospectively for 9 years. Asthma was assessed by questionnaire data on asthmatic symptoms and a positive metacholine challenge test at follow-up. Data on the current dwelling was collected at the beginning and at the end of the follow-up period by means of an interviewer-led questionnaire, and by inspection. Relative risks (RR) for new onset asthma were calculated with log-binomial models adjusted for age, sex, smoking and study centre. Results There was an excess of new asthma in subjects in homes with reports on water damage (RR 1.46; 95% CI 1.09 to 1.94) and indoor moulds (RR=1.30; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.68) at baseline. A dose-response effect was observed. The effect was stronger in those with multisensitisation and in those sensitised to moulds. Observed damp spots were related to new asthma (RR=1.49; 95% CI 1.00 to 2.22). The population-attributable risk was 3–10% for reported, and 3–14% for observed dampness/moulds. Conclusions Dampness and mould are common in dwellings, and contribute to asthma incidence in adults.