Asthma Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Asthma, including details on symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, causes, medications.

Self-reported home environmental risk factors for childhood asthma: a cross-sectional study of children in Buffalo, New York.

Lin S, Gomez MI, Hwang SA, Munsie JP, Fitzgerald EF

New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology, Troy, New York 12180-2216, USA.

We present prevalence estimates of indoor and outdoor environmental risk factors for asthma from a cross-sectional study of children 1 to 17 years of age living in Buffalo, New York. A child's primary caretaker completed a questionnaire about the household's demographics, lifestyle habits, housing, indoor and outdoor environment, and the child's activity patterns, family history of asthma, asthma symptoms and treatment, and medical care access. Significant environmental risk factors were presence of smokers in the household, humidifier or vaporizer use, chemical odors indoors, frequent truck traffic, and chemical odors outdoors. Most of these risk factors can be mitigated or controlled.

Published 30 April 2008 in J Asthma, 45(4): 325-32.
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