The Urban-Rural Gradient In Asthma: A Population-Based Study in Northern Europe

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 93 - 1
• Main Authors: Timm, Signe, Frydenberg, Morten, Janson, Christer, Campbell, Brittany, Forsberg, Bertil, Gislason, Thorarinn, Holm, Mathias, Jogi, Rain, Omenaas, Ernst, Sigsgaard, Torben, Svanes, Cecilie, Schlünssen, Vivi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.01.2016; MDPI
• Subjects: Adult; Asthma; Asthma - epidemiology; Asthma - etiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; early life environment; Europe - epidemiology; Farming; Female; Health Surveys; Humans; Hygiene; hygiene hypothesis; Incidence; Male; microbial exposure; Middle Aged; Prevalence; Proportional Hazards Models; Protective Factors; Residence Characteristics; RHINE; Risk Factors; Rural Health - statistics & numerical data; Surveys and Questionnaires; Urban areas; Urban Health - statistics & numerical data; urban-rural gradient; Europe; ANE, Norway; ANE, Sweden; Europe, Rhine R; ANE, Atlantic, Iceland; Denmark; ANE, Europe; Estonia; hygiene hypothesis; urban-rural gradient; farming; asthma; early life environment; microbial exposure; RHINE

The early life environment appears to have a persistent impact on asthma risk. We hypothesize that environmental factors related to rural life mediate lower asthma prevalence in rural populations, and aimed to investigate an urban-rural gradient, assessed by place of upbringing, for asthma. The popu...