Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
http://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/2164
Title: | Respiratory health status of children from two different air pollution exposure settings of Sri Lanka: a cross-sectional study |
Authors: | Nandasena, S. Wickremasinghe, A.R. Sathiakumar, N. |
Issue Date: | 2012 |
Publisher: | Wiley-Blackwell |
Citation: | American Journal of Industrial Medicine; 55(12): pp.1137-45 |
Abstract: | BACKGROUND: Health effects due to air pollution is becoming a major public health problem with growing traffic congestion and establishment of small- to medium-scale industries with poor emission controls in urban cities of Sri Lanka. METHODS: Respiratory health status of 7- to 10-year-old children in two settings (urban and semi-urban) was assessed using standard questionnaires. Information on socio-demographic characteristics and potential determinants of both outdoor and indoor air pollutants exposure levels were also obtained. The respiratory health status of children in the two settings was compared. RESULTS: We found that children from the urban setting had a significantly higher prevalence of wheezing within the last 12 months as compared to children from the semi-urban setting (adjusted OR = 2.02; 95% CI = 1.13-3.59). Indoor cooking with unclean fuels was a risk factor for wheezing independent of the area of residence (adjusted OR = 1.57; 95% CI = 1.01-2.46). CONCLUSIONS: Poor indoor air quality was a major determinant of wheezing for the overall study group. Children from urban areas of Sri Lanka have poorer respiratory health status as compared to children from semi-urban areas. Besides poor outdoor air quality, this difference may also be due to other unexplored factors which may differ between urban and semi-urban areas in Sri Lanka. |
URI: | http://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/2164 |
ISSN: | 0271-3586 (Print) 1097-0274 (Electronic) |
Appears in Collections: | Journal/Magazine Articles |
Files in This Item:
There are no files associated with this item.
Items in DSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.