Elsevier

Environment International

Volume 123, February 2019, Pages 61-69
Environment International

Onset and remission of childhood wheeze and rhinitis across China — Associations with early life indoor and outdoor air pollution

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2018.11.033Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open access

Highlights

  • Outdoor air pollution (PM2.5, PM10 and NO2) can increase wheeze and rhinitis symptoms among pre-school children in China.

  • Indoor mould, and dampness and window pane condensation can increase onset and decrease remission of wheeze and rhinitis.

  • Chemical emissions from renovation and cockroaches at home can increased onset of wheeze and rhinitis.

  • Gas cooking can increase onset of rhinitis.

Abstract

Objective

Few longitudinal studies exist on childhood exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollution and respiratory illness in China. We studied associations between indoor and outdoor environment and prevalence, onset and remission of wheeze and rhinitis among children across China.

Methods

Children (3–6 y) were recruited from randomized day care centres in six cities. The main data analysis was restricted to children not moving since birth (N = 17,679). Data on wheeze, rhinitis and the home environment were assessed by a parental questionnaire. Prevalence in the first two years of life (baseline) and the last year (follow-up) was used to calculate onset and remission. Outdoor PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 at the day care centre were modelled from monitoring station data. Associations were calculated by multilevel logistic regression.

Results

Prenatal NO2 was associated with decreased remission of wheeze and increased prevalence and increased onset of rhinitis. Prenatal PM2.5 was associated with increased prevalence of wheeze. Postnatal NO2 and postnatal PM10 were associated with increased prevalence and lower remission of wheeze and rhinitis. Mould, window pane condensation, renovation and cockroaches at home were associated with increased prevalence and increased onset of wheeze and rhinitis. Gas cooking was associated with increased onset of rhinitis. Children of mothers with industrial work had more wheeze.

Conclusions

Outdoor PM2.5, PM10 and NO2 can increase childhood wheeze and rhinitis. Dampness and mould can increase onset and decrease remission. Crowdedness, cockroaches at home and emissions from new building materials and gas cooking can be risk factors for wheeze and rhinitis.

Keywords

Asthma
Rhinitis
Dampness
PM2.5
Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP)
Renovation

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1

These authors contributed equally to the work.