Residential environment in relation to self-report of respiratory and asthma symptoms among primary school children in a high-polluted urban area

Respiratory disease and its complication are the cause of children deaths worldwide every year. Several epidemiological studies pointed out an association between quality of residential in inner city and risk of children health. Few studies had been focused on respiratory and asthma symptoms in high-polluted urban area in low to middle income countries. We conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate the association between residential environments and respiratory symptoms including asthma among 658 primary school children aged between 6 to 10 years who have been living in high-polluted urban area of Bangkok Thailand. The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire was modified and used for symptom self-report during the past 12 months. Binary logistic regression model was performed to find the associations. The results showed that living near garment and clothing shop is associated with shortness of breath (AOR = 1.846; 95%CI 1.034, 3.297). Vectors in home is related to dry cough at night (AOR = 1.505; 95%CI 1.052, 2.153) and phlegm (AOR = 1.414; 95%CI 1.014, 1.973). Wall dampness is increased odd of having wheezing or whistling (asthma) in the chest (AOR = 1.921; 95%CI 1.141, 3.235). Housing quality and living environments to reduce respiratory and asthma symptoms among urban children must be improved to address these risks.