Indoor visible mold and mold odor are associated with new‐onset childhood wheeze in a dose‐dependent manner

Evidence is accumulating that indoor dampness and mold are associated with the development of asthma. The underlying mechanisms remain unknown. New Zealand has high rates of both asthma and indoor mold and is ideally placed to investigate this. We conducted an incident case‐control study involving 1...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Indoor air Vol. 28; no. 1; pp. 6 - 15
Main Authors:	Shorter, Caroline, Crane, Julian, Pierse, Nevil, Barnes, Phillipa, Kang, Janice, Wickens, Kristin, Douwes, Jeroen, Stanley, Thorsten, Täubel, Martin, Hyvärinen, Anne, Howden‐Chapman, Philippa, Chitty, Debbie, Delany, Denis, Dorfling, Theodore, Ferguson, Rod, Fitzsimons, Kevin, Harris, Martin, Jackson, Tony, Jefferies, Tim, Kljakovic, Lise, Masters, Chris, Medlicott, Richard, Robinson, David, Rowley, Penny, Shepherd, Jill, Smith, Tim, Wong, Philip, Wright, Christopher
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	England Hindawi Limited 01-01-2018
Subjects:	Air Microbiology Allergens Asthma Atopy Case-Control Studies Child Child, Preschool Children Damage assessment dampness Dust control Female Fungi Housing Humans Humidity Infant leaks Male Microorganisms Moisture content Mold Odor Odors Parents Respiratory Sounds - etiology Skin tests Studies Temperature Wheezing leaks mold asthma children housing dampness
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Summary:	Evidence is accumulating that indoor dampness and mold are associated with the development of asthma. The underlying mechanisms remain unknown. New Zealand has high rates of both asthma and indoor mold and is ideally placed to investigate this. We conducted an incident case‐control study involving 150 children with new‐onset wheeze, aged between 1 and 7 years, each matched to two control children with no history of wheezing. Each participant's home was assessed for moisture damage, condensation, and mold growth by researchers, an independent building assessor and parents. Repeated measures of temperature and humidity were made, and electrostatic dust cloths were used to collect airborne microbes. Cloths were analyzed using qPCR. Children were skin prick tested for aeroallergens to establish atopy. Strong positive associations were found between observations of visible mold and new‐onset wheezing in children (adjusted odds ratios ranged between 1.30 and 3.56; P ≤ .05). Visible mold and mold odor were consistently associated with new‐onset wheezing in a dose‐dependent manner. Measurements of qPCR microbial levels, temperature, and humidity were not associated with new‐onset wheezing. The association between mold and new‐onset wheeze was not modified by atopic status, suggesting a non‐allergic association.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	0905-6947 1600-0668
DOI:	10.1111/ina.12413