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Published on: May 7, 2013
CO(2) concentration in day care centres is related to wheezing in attending children
Pedro Carreiro-Martins1, João Viegas, Ana Luisa Papoila
1CEDOC, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM), Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campo dos Mártires da Pátria, 130, 1169-056, Lisbon, Portugal, pmartinsalergo@gmail.com.
Insights
Poor indoor air quality in day care centres (DCCs) is linked to increased wheezing in children. Improving ventilation is crucial for a healthier environment in DCCs, reducing respiratory symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Respiratory Health
- Indoor Air Quality
Background:
- Poor ventilation in day care centres (DCCs) is a known issue, but its impact on children's respiratory health remains unclear.
- Indoor carbon dioxide (CO2) levels serve as a marker for ventilation effectiveness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the association between indoor CO2 concentrations and wheezing in children attending DCCs.
- To identify behaviors and building characteristics influencing indoor CO2 levels in DCCs.
Main Methods:
- A two-phase study involving 45 DCCs in Portugal, with follow-up assessments in 19 DCCs.
- Children's respiratory health assessed using ISAAC-derived questionnaires.
- Indoor CO2 levels and building characteristics measured using complementary methods; analyzed with mixed-effect models.
Main Results:
- In phase I (3,186 children), higher indoor CO2 was associated with increased reported wheezing (OR 1.04 per 200 ppm).
- This association was not significant in phase II (1,196 children).
- Higher CO2 levels correlated with less frequent window/door opening and lower wind velocity; a trend with asthma prevalence was noted.
Conclusions:
- Improved ventilation is essential for creating healthier indoor environments in DCCs.
- Addressing ventilation may help reduce respiratory symptoms like wheezing in young children.
Unlabelled:
Poor ventilation at day care centres (DCCs) was already reported, although its effects on attending children are not clear. This study aimed to evaluate the association between wheezing in children and indoor CO2 (a ventilation surrogate marker) in DCC and to identify behaviours and building characteristics potentially related to CO2. In phase I, 45 DCCs from Lisbon and Oporto (Portugal) were selected through a proportional stratified random sampling. In phase II, 3 months later, 19 DCCs were further reassessed after cluster analysis for the greatest difference comparison. In both phases, children's respiratory health was assessed by ISAAC-derived questionnaires. Indoor CO2 concentrations and building characteristics of the DCC were evaluated in both phases, using complementary methods. Mixed effect models were used to analyze the data. In phase I, which included 3,186 children (mean age 3.1 ± 1.5 years), indoor CO2 concentration in the DCC rooms was associated with reported wheezing in the past 12 months (27.5 %) (adjusted odds ratio (OR) for each increase of 200 ppm 1.04, 95 % CI 1:01 to 1:07). In phase II, the association in the subsample of 1,196 children seen in 19 out of the initial 45 DCCs was not significant (adjusted OR 1.02, 95 % CI 0.96 to 1.08). Indoor CO2 concentration was inversely associated with the practices of opening windows and internal doors and with higher wind velocity. A positive trend was observed between CO2 and prevalence of reported asthma (4.7 %).
Conclusion:
Improved ventilation is needed to achieve a healthier indoor environment in DCC.
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