摘要：Objectives . We studied housing characteristics, parental factors, and respiratory health conditions in Russian children. Methods . We studied a population of 5951 children from 9 Russian cities, whose parents answered a questionnaire on their children’s respiratory health, home environment, and housing characteristics. The health outcomes were asthma conditions, current wheeze, dry cough, bronchitis, and respiratory allergy. Results . Respiratory allergy and dry cough increased in association with the home being adjacent to traffic. Consistent positive associations were observed between some health conditions and maternal smoking during pregnancy, many health conditions and lifetime exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), and nearly all health conditions and water damage and molds in the home. Conclusions . Vicinity to traffic, dampness, mold, and ETS are important determinants of children’s respiratory health in Russia. Numerous studies have associated indoor housing factors with increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms in children as well as adults. 1– 4 Yet there are few studies from the Russian Federation or the former Soviet Union, where a large percentage of the population live in concrete apartment buildings, in which water and heat are supplied by district heating systems and gas is used for cooking. Furthermore, most Russian families benefit from a state health care system that provides pre- and postnatal care. 5 It therefore behooves us to examine housing factors such as smoking, moisture, indoor combustion sources (e.g., gas cooking, tobacco use), and ventilation on the health of school-aged children living in contemporary Russian housing.
