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ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES IN RURAL IOWA HOMES WITH ASTHMATIC CHILDREN
Citation:
Svendsen, E., S. Reynolds, J. Merchant, A. Stromquist, AND P. Thorne. ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES IN RURAL IOWA HOMES WITH ASTHMATIC CHILDREN. Presented at American Thoracic Society Meeting, Atlanta, GA, May 17-22, 2002.
Description:
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES IN RURAL IOWA HOMES WITH ASTHMATIC CHILDREN
Erik R. Svendsen*?, Stephen J. Reynolds*?, James A. Merchant*, Ann M. Stromquist*, Peter S. Thorne*. * The University of Iowa College of Public Health, Iowa City, IA ?Current: USEPA,RTP, NC ?Current: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
Introduction: A relatively high rate of childhood asthma (16.3%) was found in a completely rural cohort. Most literature has reported low asthma prevalence in rural/agricultural populations.
Methods: This study is a cross-sectional analysis of the data from Round I of the Keokuk County Rural Health Study- a population-based, 20-year prospective, longitudinal cohort study of 1004 households within a completely rural Iowa county. Asthma was defined as ever having been diagnosed with asthma by a clinician or ever having taken medications for recurrent wheeze within the last year. Questionnaires, home environmental measurements, and household inspection data were collected and analyzed.
Results: 77 case and 180 control homes (without any asthmatic children) were studied. After adjustment for male gender and high-risk birth, both farm livestock exposure (OR: 2.27, 95% CI: 1.18-4.20) and dehumidifier use (OR:1.67, 95% CI: 0.91-3.07) were associated with asthma prevalence. The primary livestock exposure was to hogs. Dehumidifier use was highly associated with observed water damage, mold, and mildew.
Conclusions: These findings are inconsistent with the hygiene hypothesis. At-home livestock (primarily hog) exposures and damp housing (dehumidifier use best predictor) were the two most significant home environmental risk factors newly reported as associated with childhood asthma prevalence in a completely rural Midwestern US population.
This abstract does not necessarily represent EPA policy.