Dampness at home and asthma in schoolchildren

Background: Exposure to dampness has been considered a risk factor for dust mite and mold sensitivity, thus contributing in onset of wheeze and asthma. The aim of the study was to examine the impact of several aspects of dampness at home on asthma in schoolchildren in the Republic of Macedonia where D.pteronissinus sensitivity is the most prevalent one. Methods: Data obtained through parental-completed questionnaire from 2310 inner-city children aged 5-15 years was used. The association between damage caused by dampness at home, currently present water at home from broken pipes or floods, mildew odor or musty smell frequently present at home, and signs of mold or mildew at home with asthma-like symptoms and diagnosed asthma was investigated after adjustment for confounders by multiple logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of damage caused by dampness was 11.4 %, of water from broken pipes/floods was 11.9%, of mildew/musty odor was 8.7% and signs of mold/mildew at home was 13.5%. Wheeze (W) ever was documented in 30.3 % of children, current W in 6.5%, current sleep-disturbing W in 3.6%, current exercise induced W in 1.7%, current dry night cough apart from a cold in 12.2%, and diagnosed asthma in 2.3 %. Signs of mold/mildew significantly increased the risk of W ever (aOR: 1.68; 1.20-2.35; p-0.002) and dry night cough (aOR: 1.59; 1.01-2.50; p=0.043) while damage caused by dampness increased the risk of current W (aOR: 2.39; 1.54-5.42;p=0.001) and exercise-induced W. Mildew/musty odor increased the risk of sleep-disturbing W (aOR: 2.07; 1.02-4.19; p=0.044). Conclusion: The results further support an important aggravating impact of exposure to dampness on asthma-like symptoms in schoolchildren.