Respiratory health, indoot air-pollution and asthma burden in school age children

Strong evidence is reported on risk factors from the indoor and outdoor environment on respiratory health in children. The European Commission, funded the study on Schools Indoor Pollution and Health (SINPHONIE) carried out in 25 different European countries in winter season 2011/2012, during the heating season. The aim of the study was to measure indoors and outdoors air-quality and level of pollutants and to correlate it with respiratory health. Since children spend a large part of their time at school, the initiatives to evaluate such indoor air quality (IAQ) were developed. The study protocol included:questionnaire on school characteristics and IAQ policy; questionnaires derived from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood, one filled in by the pupils and the other by their parents; school environmental assessments; and noninvasive clinical tests on a subsample of pupils. Noninvasive clinical tests - spirometry, break-up time and tear film analysis, exhaled nitrogen oxide were performed. The selected schools were in urban and rural area. Results: The pupils exposed to an elevated level of indoor pollutants showed higher prevalence of nonspecific respiratory symptoms. The exacerbation of asthma definitely correlates with higher levels of indoor pollution particularly during the winter season unrelated to school location, characteristics. Conclusion: The indoor air quality directly affects the respiratory health of pupils in general while in asthmatic children may be a risk factor for the exacerbations and asthma attacks in school. Brunekref B. Indoor environment. In:Annesi-Maesano I, Gulsvik A, Viegi G, eds. Respiratory Epidemiology in Europe. Eur Respir Mon 2000; 5: 384–399.