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Some environmental risk factors for childhood asthma: a case-control study
1Department of Paediatrics, Ogun State University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Nigeria.
Insights
Asthma in Nigerian children is strongly linked to indoor environmental factors like pets, mold, and pests. Managing the home environment alongside medical treatment is crucial for asthmatic children.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Allergy
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Childhood asthma prevalence is a significant public health concern.
- Home environmental exposures are implicated in asthma exacerbations.
- Understanding local environmental triggers is vital for effective management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between the home environment and asthma in Nigerian children.
- To identify specific indoor environmental risk factors for childhood asthma.
- To explore potential protective factors within the home environment.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study design was employed.
- 140 asthmatic children and 140 matched controls participated.
- Data on home environment exposures were collected and analyzed.
Main Results:
- Significant asthma associations found with damp/mouldy bedrooms, household pets, cigarette smoke, mosquito coils, and pests (rodents/cockroaches).
- Unexplained protective effects observed for indoor biomass smoke, indoor plants, mould elsewhere, and cosmetic aerosols.
- High household density and sleeping density were noted.
Conclusions:
- Home environment modification is a critical adjunct to pharmacotherapy for childhood asthma.
- Targeting specific indoor exposures like pets, mold, and pests can mitigate asthma risk.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the protective mechanisms of certain indoor exposures.
Abstract:
A case-control study of the home environment of 140 asthmatic children and 140 controls (matched for age, sex and socio-economic status) was carried out in two semi-urban Nigerian teaching hospitals. The mean age of the children was 66 months, and the mean monthly family income was US $50.00. The average number of people in a household was seven, with a mean sleeping density of 4.9 persons per sleeping area. There was a strong and significant association between asthma and a damp, mouldy bedroom (OR = 11.2, p < 0.001), household pets (OR = 116.8, p < 0.001), cigarette smoke (OR = 2.1, p < 0.01), mosquito coil (OR = 3.7, p < 0.001), and rodents/cockroaches (OR = 113.7, p < 0.001). There was a curious but unexplained protective effect of indoor biomass smoke (OR = 0.6, p < 0.001), indoor plants (OR = 0.5, p < 0.01), mould growth elsewhere in the home (OR = 0.5, p < 0.01), and cosmetic aerosols (OR = 0.6, p < 0.05). Control of the micro- as well as the macro-environment of the asthmatic child as an adjuvant to drug therapy is discussed.