Risk factors indoors and prevalences of childhood respiratory health in four countries in Western and Central Europe

The prevalence of respiratory symptoms and risk factors were gathered in fo ur study centres in Western and Central Europe as part of an EU-funded mult i-centre study addressing the use of small area methods in air pollution ep idemiology (SAVIAH). The study was carried out in Prague (CZ), Poznan (PL), Huddersfield (UK) and Amsterdam (NL). Prevalences of respiratory symptoms and risk factors between the centres were compared, and associations betwee n risk factors and respiratory symptoms were calculated. Respiratory health was assessed by a self-administered questionnaire, distributed among paren ts or guardians of schoolchildren between the age of 7 and 11 years. Life-t ime wheezing and attacks of shortness of breath showed highest prevalences in Huddersfield (30% and 14%, respectively); usual cough showed highest pre valence in Poznan (27%). Differences in prevalence between the centres were found for the potential determinants "age" (due to different age ranges), "gas cooking" (highest in Amsterdam and Poznan), gas/coal heating (lowest i n Central European centres), home dampness (highest in Western European cen tres), disturbance by traffic (highest in urban centres), maternal smoking (highest in Central European centres), family history (highest in Huddersfi eld) and education (highest in Huddersfield). The prevalence of pets in the home differed only slightly between the study centres. Of the potential de teminants studied, gender, family history of allergic diseases, dampness of the home and, to a lesser extent, passive smoking were important risk fact ors for life-time prevalence of respiratory symptoms in schoolchildren.