A Study Of Family Indoor Environments And Respiratory Health Of Young Children

Objective:Recently, public health experts have paid attention on the health effects of indoor pollutions. The problems are common in the entire world but more serious in developing countries. Indoor pollutions greatly harm people’s health. The respiratory system suffered from air pollutants most for all harmful substances coming into the body through it. The young children are at an important period of growth. Their immune system and respiratory system haven’t developed completely so that they are sensitive to air quality.This study is to understand the respiratory health status of young children, to reveal the effects of family indoor environments on respiratory health of young children and to explore the effective methods of education interventions. It will provide the theoretical basis for the prevention and control methods for respiratory symptoms and diseases.Methods:According to the geographical characteristic,6community health service centers were selected by stratified cluster sampling method. All of the0-3years old young children came to child health outpatients in half a year were involved in this survey. For the children came to hospital more than once, we only interviewed them once at the first time of their coming.We investigated respiratory symptoms, the prevalence of diseases by using revised international standardized questionnaire ATS-DLD-78-C. The questionnaires were delivered by the trained doctors and filled by children’s parents. At the same time, we also used this survey to exam the situations of young children’s family indoor environments and the other related factors.We used Epidata3.1to establish database and input data. SPSS13.0to collect and analyze data. We described the general situations and respiratory health status by rate. and analyzed the relationships of all factors by χ2test and logistic regression analysis.Results:We sent out1424questionnaires, and received1296. of which1266were valid. The valid response rate was88.90%.662male and604female infants were participated in this survey. Among them, the oldest infant was47months old, and the youngest were1month old. The average age was (16.41±11.96) months. There was no significant difference in age between male and female infants (P>0.05), while difference in age between different residential areas had statistical significance (P<0.01).The report rate of persistent cough, persistent phlegm, wheeze, asthma and bronchitis was2.2%,1.3%,19.1%,8.2%,17.6%, respectively. Respiratory diseases are mostly diagnosed by doctors from October to March next year, and the majority was mild. The report rate of respiratory symptoms of the male was higher than that of the female only except persistent cough, especially for the report rate of wheeze, the difference between the male and the female was significant (P<0.01). The highest report rate of persistent cough, persistent phlegm, asthma and bronchitis was in the group of3-years old. The report rates of persistent cough, asthma and bronchitis, in various age groups were significant different (P<0.01).After adjusting the factors of age, gender, residential area, parents’education, family history of respiratory diseases and allergy, prematurity, low birth weight, breast feeding, early history of allergy and other family indoor environments, we did a logistic regression analysis and found out the risk factor of persistent phlegm was using fuels (P<0.05):the risk factors of wheeze were living conditions, using air conditioning, using fuel (P<0.05或P<0.01).The family indoor environments had no relationship with persistent cough (P>0.05). Using air conditioning. were the risk factors for asthma (P<0.05), while using fuel was the risk factor for bronchitis (P<0.01).Conclusion:The report rate of respiratory symptoms and diseases were different in gender and age. It was relatively higher in male young children and older group.We could see all of the family indoor environments have certain effects on respiratory health in young children. Parents should pay attentions to these risk factors which can be improved indeed. To protect the respiratory health in young children, parents should also take measures to reduce the level of indoor air pollutions.