Children’s Respiratory Infections in Tianjin Area, China: Associations with Home Environments and Lifestyles

Jing Hou, Dachao Lv, Yuexia Sun, Pan Wang, Qingnan Zhang and Jan Sundell
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Jing Hou: Tianjin Key Laboratory of Indoor Air Environmental Quality Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
Dachao Lv: Tianjin Key Laboratory of Indoor Air Environmental Quality Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
Yuexia Sun: Tianjin Key Laboratory of Indoor Air Environmental Quality Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
Pan Wang: Tianjin Key Laboratory of Indoor Air Environmental Quality Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
Qingnan Zhang: Tianjin Key Laboratory of Indoor Air Environmental Quality Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
Jan Sundell: Tianjin Key Laboratory of Indoor Air Environmental Quality Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-13

Abstract: Children spend most of their indoors time at home, which may have substantial influence on their health. We conducted a cross-sectional study in the Tianjin area, China to quantify the incidence of respiratory infections among children, and its association with home environments and lifestyles. The lifetime-ever incidences of croup, pneumonia and ear infection among children aged 0–8 in Tianjin area was 9.2%, 28.7% and 11.6%, respectively. The incidence of common cold infections more than twice per year was 31.3%. Home environments and lifestyles included strong risk factors for childhood respiratory infections. Perceived dry air had the greatest association with childhood common colds (population attributable fraction (PAF = 15.0%). Modern floor covering had the greatest association with croup (PAF = 14.7%) and ear infection (PAF = 34.5%), while infrequent bedding sun-curing had the greatest association with pneumonia (PAF = 18.7%). Condensation (a proxy of poor ventilation) accounted for 12.2% of the incidence of croup (PAF = 12.2%) and frequent common colds (PAF = 8.4%). Our findings indicate that factors related to “modern” home environments and lifestyles are risks for childhood respiratory infections. Modifying such factors might reduce the incidence of respiratory infections among children.

Keywords: respiratory infections; perceived dry air; condensation; sun-cure bedding; modern floor covering (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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