Sources of household air pollution: The association with lung function and respiratory symptoms in middle-aged adult.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship between sources of household air pollution, respiratory symptoms and lung function.

METHODS: 3039 adults aged from 40 to 65 participated in the 2011-2013 ELISABET cross-sectional survey in northern France. Lung function was measured using spirometry. During a structured interview, respiratory symptoms, household fuels, exposure to moulds, and use of ventilation were recorded on a questionnaire.

RESULTS: The self-reported presence of mould in at least two rooms (not including the bathroom and the kitchen) was associated with a 2.5% lower predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s (95% confidence interval, -4.7 to -0.29; p-trend <0.05) and a higher risk of wheezing (p-trend < 0.001). Visible condensation was associated with wheezing (p < .05) and chronic cough (p < .05). There were no significant associations with the type of household fuel or inadequate ventilation/aeration. Similar results were found when the analyses were restricted to participants without known respiratory disease.

CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the presence of mould (known to be associated with more severe asthma symptoms) could also have an impact on respiratory symptoms and lung function in the general population and in populations without known respiratory disease.