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Asthma and respiratory infections in school children with special reference to moisture and mold problems in the
T Taskinen1, A Hyvärinen, T Meklin
1Department of Paediatrics, Kuopio University Hospital, Finland. Taina.Taskinen@ktl.fi
Insights
School moisture and mold issues are linked to increased respiratory infections, wheezing, and cough in children. This study highlights the impact of indoor environmental quality on child respiratory health.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Respiratory Medicine
- Allergy and Immunology
Background:
- Indoor environmental quality in schools is a growing concern for child health.
- Moisture and mold exposure are potential triggers for respiratory symptoms in children.
- Understanding the link between school building conditions and respiratory health is crucial for prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between exposure to moisture/mold in schools and respiratory manifestations in children.
- To compare respiratory symptoms and infections in children attending schools with and without moisture problems.
- To assess the role of mold sensitization in relation to respiratory symptoms.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire study was conducted on 622 school children (aged 7-13).
- A clinical study with skin prick tests for molds was performed on 212 children with diagnosed asthma or reported wheezing/cough.
- Children were recruited from one school with moisture issues (index) and one control school.
Main Results:
- Children in the index school reported significantly higher rates of wheezing (16% vs 6%) and cough (21% vs 9%).
- Lower respiratory tract infections led to more emergency visits and antibiotic courses in the index school children.
- Positive skin reactions to molds were infrequent (2.4%) and not strongly correlated with symptoms in this cohort.
Conclusions:
- Moisture and mold problems in school buildings are associated with increased respiratory infections, wheezing, and prolonged cough in school children.
- The findings suggest that school environmental factors play a significant role in pediatric respiratory health.
- Interventions to address moisture and mold in schools may reduce respiratory illness burden in children.
Aim Of The Study:
Initially, we performed a questionnaire study on 622 school children aged 7 to 13 y. The study was supplemented with a clinical study including skin prick tests to 13 molds in 212 (34%) children with doctor-diagnosed asthma or parental-reported wheezing or prolonged cough. These children were attending one of two elementary schools, one with moisture problems (index) school, the other being the control school. The objective of the study was to evaluate whether exposure to moisture and sensitization to molds are associated with respiratory manifestations in school children.
Results:
The prevalence of asthma was 4.8%, which was similar in the children from both schools. The children from the index school more often had wheezing (16% vs 6%; p <0.001) and cough (21% vs 9%: p < 0.001) symptoms than control children. Positive skin reactions to molds were rare (2.4%), being present in 7% of asthmatic and in 1-2% of non-asthmatic children (NS). Lower respiratory tract infections were more common in the spring than in the fall in children from the index school, but not in control children, and the difference between the schools was significant in emergency visits (OR =2.0, p <0.01) and antibiotic courses (OR = 2.1, p < 0.01).
Conclusions:
We found evidence of an association between moisture or mold problems in the school building and the occurrence of respiratory infections, repeated wheezing and prolonged cough in school children.