Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 May;92(4):587-598.
doi: 10.1007/s00420-018-1395-3. Epub 2019 Jan 9.

Modern life makes children allergic. A cross-sectional study: associations of home environment and lifestyles with asthma and allergy among children in Tianjin region, China

Yuexia Sun  1 , Jing Hou  2 , Ying Sheng  2 , Xiangrui Kong  2 , Louise B Weschler  3   4 , Jan Sundell  2   5
Affiliations

Modern life makes children allergic. A cross-sectional study: associations of home environment and lifestyles with asthma and allergy among children in Tianjin region, China

Yuexia Sun et al. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2019 May.

Abstract

Purpose: In the past 60 years, the prevalences of asthma and allergy among children have increased around the world. Neither genetic nor outdoor environmental factors can explain this increase.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study of 7366 children in Tianjin, China, on associations of home environment and lifestyles with asthma and allergy.

Results: The prevalences of diagnosed asthma, rhinitis and eczema among 0- to 8-year-old children in the Tianjin area were 4%, 9% and 39%. Home environment and lifestyle, together with infections, were strong risk factors. For asthma and allergy, the population attributable fraction (PAF) due to modern floors and wall coverings (i.e., laminated wooden floors and painted walls compared to tile floors and lime-coated walls) was 22%. Window condensation in winter and air conditioner use in summer, both of which are proxies for less ventilation, accounted for 7-17% of rhinitis and eczema. Cesarean delivery accounted for 10% of eczema symptoms. We developed a modern life index from appropriate home characteristics and lifestyle and food consumption habits and found it to have a clear dose-response relationship with asthma and allergy in Tianjin children.

Conclusions: The results indicate that a "modern" home environment together with a modern lifestyle is associated with increased prevalences of asthma and allergies among children. Appropriate indoor environmental interventions and education of children's caregivers are important in the management of childhood asthma and allergy.

Keywords: Asthma and allergy; Child; Home environment; Lifestyle; Modern decoration; Ventilation.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Zhonghua Jie He He Hu Xi Za Zhi. 2004 Feb;27(2):112-6 - PubMed
    1. Indoor Air. 2004 Aug;14(4):243-57 - PubMed
    1. Environ Health Perspect. 2004 Oct;112(14):1393-7 - PubMed
    1. Indoor Air. 2005;15 Suppl 10:48-55 - PubMed
    1. Indoor Air. 2005 Aug;15(4):275-80 - PubMed

MeSH terms