[Cooperation between East Germany and Czechoslovakia in studying the effect of environmental pollution on school...

This report presents key outcomes of joint growth and development studies conducted in children permanently living in areas adversely affected by pollutants in air. Further attention is focussed on the evaluation of effects of some of the so-called compensatory measures applied in Czechoslovakia, namely a 3-week outdoor schooling organized for these children in the relatively clean recreational areas. The beneficial health effects of year's season and specifically of the spontaneous, active and sufficiently long outdoor exercise are documented in graphs. As it is pointed out in this context, children in the place of their permanent residence tend to have relative little exercise outdoor, may run an increased risk of exposure to indoor pollutants, and may suffer from passive smoking effects if their parents cannot refrain from smoking habits at home.