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William C. Maier,^1,2 H. Michael Arrighi,³ Barbara Morray, ⁴ Claire Llewellyn, ⁴ and Gregory J. Redding ^4,5

¹University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 USA; ²Glaxo Wellcome, Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 USA; ³Amgen, Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA 91320 USA; ⁴Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA 98195 USA; ⁵University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195 USA

Abstract

Indoor risk factors for physician-diagnosed asthma and wheezing in the past 12 months without previous asthma diagnosis were assessed in a survey of parents of 5-9-year-old Seattle primary school students. Among the 925 respondents, 106 (11%) reported a physician diagnosis of asthma, 66 (7%) had wheezing without diagnosis, and 753 (82%) were asymptomatic. After adjusting for age, sex, gender, ethnicity, medical history, socioeconomic status (SES) and parental asthma status, an increased risk of physician diagnosis of asthma was associated with household water damage, the presence of one or more household tobacco smokers, and at least occasional environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure. Similarly, an increased risk of wheezing in the past 12 months among children without diagnosed asthma was associated with household water damage, presence of one or more household tobacco smokers, and occasional or more frequent ETS exposure. No increased risk of either condition was associated with gas, wood, or kerosene stove use, household mold, basement water, or wall/window dampness. Similarities in the indoor risk factors patterns between diagnosed asthma and wheezing without diagnosis suggested a similar etiology of these two conditions. The slightly higher association between ETS and asthma may indicate that parents of diagnosed asthmatics were more conscious of ETS, and were more likely to prohibit household smoking by resident smokers. Future research is needed to quantify which aspects of household water damage are related to respiratory illness. Key words: asthma, childhood, environmental tobacco smoke, gas stove, household dampness, wheezing. Environ Health Perspect 105:208-214 (1997)

Address correspondence to W.C. Maier, Glaxo Wellcome Inc., 5 Moore Drive, P. O. Box 13398, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 USA.

Carl Shy and Harry Guess, (both at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Department of Epidemiology) provided invaluable guidance on the development of the survey questions to measure the indoor parameters described in this manuscript. Work completed at the University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle WA, USA, and Glaxo Wellcome, Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.

Received 23 August 1996 ; accepted 17 October 1996.