New onset of asthma in relation to observed dampness, moulds and window condensation
| Asthma | Asthma and BHR | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ECRHS II | (n=2484) | (n=1557) | |||||
| Exposed (%) | Adjusted RR* | 95% CI | PAF (%) | Adjusted RR* | 95% CI | PAF (%) | |
| Any damp spots | 18.3 | 1.49 | (1.00 to 2.22) | 8.20 | 1.88 | (0.84 to 4.22) | 14.40 |
| Damp spots in bedroom | 7.0 | 1.63 | (0.95 to 2.78) | 4.10 | 2.57 | (0.91 to 7.27) | 8.70 |
| Damp spots in living room | 5.8 | 0.98 | (0.46 to 2.07) | – | NA | NA | – |
| Damp spots in bathroom | 9.8 | 1.21 | (0.72 to 2.03) | 2.21 | 1.62 | (0.61 to 4.30) | 6.93 |
| Any visible mould | 13.6 | 1.15 | (0.71 to 1.85) | 1.90 | 1.74 | (0.68 to 4.45) | 9.50 |
| Visible mould in bedroom | 4.9 | 1.56 | (0.83 to 2.92) | 2.80 | 2.51 | (0.61 to 10.40) | 6.40 |
| Mould spots in living room | 2.9 | 0.99 | (0.37 to 2.65) | – | 0.97 | (0.12 to 7.56) | – |
| Mould spots in bathroom | 9.2 | 0.79 | (0.41 to 1.51) | – | 1.14 | (0.34 to 3.86) | 1.09 |
| Reported window condensation in winter in any room | 32.7 | 1.07 | (0.75 to 1.53) | 2.00 | 1.43 | (0.67 to 3.07) | 13.20 |
*Adjusted for age, sex, smoking status and centre.
BHR, bronchial hyper-responsiveness; ECRHS, European Community Respiratory Health Survey; NA, not available; PAF, population attributable fraction, RR, relative risks; NA, not available because to small numbers for statistical calculations.