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Exposure to indoor mould and children's respiratory health in the PATY study

T Antova1, S Pattenden, B Brunekreef

  • 1Environmental Health Unit, NCPHP, Sofia, Bulgaria.

Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
|July 16, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Living in a damp home with visible mould is linked to poorer respiratory health in children. This study analyzed data from over 58,000 children, confirming mould as a significant risk factor for cough and other respiratory issues.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental health
  • Pediatric respiratory medicine
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Damp and mouldy homes are suspected to negatively impact children's respiratory health.
  • Public perception may underestimate mould as a significant health risk.
  • The study utilizes data from the Pollution and the Young (PATY) study, pooling information from 12 cross-sectional studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the association between indoor mould exposure and a range of respiratory and allergic symptoms in children.
  • To investigate the impact of air quality on pediatric respiratory disorders.
  • To quantify the risk of respiratory symptoms associated with visible household mould.

Main Methods:

  • Data from over 58,000 children aged 6-12 years were pooled from 12 cross-sectional studies across Russia, North America, and Europe.
  • Logistic regression models were employed to estimate associations between reported household mould and eight respiratory/allergic symptoms, controlling for individual and area-level factors.
  • Meta-analysis was used to estimate mean effects and assess heterogeneity between study-specific results.

Main Results:

  • Visible mould was reported by 13.9% in Russia to 39.1% in North America.
  • Consistent positive associations were found between mould exposure and children's respiratory symptoms, including nocturnal cough (OR 1.30) and morning cough (OR 1.50).
  • Stronger effects of mould were observed in more crowded households for asthma and sensitivity to inhaled allergens, but no consistent interactions with age, sex, or parental smoking were detected.

Conclusions:

  • Indoor mould exposure is consistently linked to adverse respiratory health outcomes in children.
  • The findings highlight the importance of addressing mould in homes to protect pediatric respiratory health.
  • This large-scale international study provides robust evidence on the detrimental effects of indoor mould on children's well-being.
Abstract

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