Plastic wall materials in the home and respiratory health in young children

• Published in: American journal of public health (1971) Vol. 90; no. 5; pp. 797 - 799
• Main Authors: Jaakkola, JJ, Verkasalo, PK, Jaakkola, N
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Am Public Health Assoc 01.05.2000; American Public Health Association
• Subjects: Adolescent; Air Pollution, Indoor - adverse effects; Building materials; Child; Child Welfare; Child, Preschool; Children & youth; Construction Materials - adverse effects; Correlates; Cross-Sectional Studies; Finland; Finland - epidemiology; Health risk assessment; Households; Housing; Humans; Infant; Inhalation Exposure - adverse effects; Logistic Models; Plastics; Plastics - adverse effects; Population Surveillance; Public health; Respiratory diseases; Respiratory disorders; Respiratory Tract Diseases - epidemiology; Respiratory Tract Diseases - etiology; Risk Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young children; Finland
• ISSN: 0090-0036; 1541-0048
• DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.90.5.797

The relation between the presence of plastic wall materials in the home and respiratory health in children was assessed. This population-based cross-sectional study involved 2568 Finnish children aged 1 to 7 years. In logistic regression models, lower respiratory tract symptoms--persistent wheezing (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 3.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.13, 10.36), cough (OR = 2.41, 95% CI = 1.04, 5.63), and phlegm (OR = 2.76, 95% CI = 1.03, 7.41)--were strongly related to the presence of plastic wall materials, whereas upper respiratory symptoms were not. The risk of asthma (OR = 1.52, 95% CI = 0.35, 6.71) and pneumonia (OR = 1.81, 95% CI = 0.62, 5.29) was also increased in children exposed to such materials. Emissions from plastic materials indoors may have adverse effects on the lower respiratory tracts of small children.