Associations of Perinatal Factors with Childhood Asthma and Allergies: A
Cross-Sectional Study in Tianjin, China
Abstract
ABSTRACT Background: Asthma, rhinitis, and eczema are becoming
increasingly prevalent among children in China. Studies have shown that
the perinatal period is critical and impacts children’s health. However,
research on the associations between perinatal factors and childhood
allergic diseases in China are few. Objective: To evaluate the
associations between the home factors (dampness/ humidity, parental
smoking, contact with animals, and renovation) and childhood allergic
diseases around the perinatal periods in China. Method: This work is
part of the China Child Health and Home (CCHH) study and is an analysis
of data from a cross-sectional questionnaire investigation in urban
Tianjin and rural Cangzhou, China, from 2013 to 2014. A total of 7,366
randomly selected kindergarten and elementary school children age 0-8
years old were investigated. The questions used in the study were
modeled according to the Dampness in Buildings and Health (DBH) study
conducted in Sweden. Results: The prevalence of children’s
doctor-diagnosed asthma, rhinitis, and eczema were 4.1%, 9.5%, and
35.6%, respectively. There were associations between the indexes of
dampness/humidity and allergic diseases, with an odd ratio of up to 4.02
at a 95% confidence interval: (1.87-8.64), after adjustment. The other
perinatal factors (parental smoking, contact with animals, and
renovation) also showed positive associations with the allergic
conditions. Conclusion: The environmental factors around the perinatal
period show strong associations with the allergic conditions discussed
in this study. Further studies are needed to identify the biologic
background and probable mechanisms for these associations.