Respiratory symptoms in children of Upper Silesia, Poland: Cross-sectional study in two towns of different air pollution levels

✍ Scribed by J. E. Zejda; M. Skiba; A. Orawiec; T. Dybowska; B. Cimander

• Book ID: 104640725
• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 608 KB
• Volume: 12
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0393-2990
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00144438

✦ Synopsis

In children aged 7-9 years residing in the town of Chorzow (C) and in the town of Mikolow (M), located 30 km apart (Upper Silesia, the industrial part of Poland), respiratory symptoms were ascertained according to the parental answers to WHO-Questionnaire. Mean annual concentrations of air pollutants are higher in Chorzow than in Mikolow, and recent mean values of 24 hr measurements over November 1992-January 1993 confirmed the between-town gradient (p < 0.001) for particulates (C:166 gg/m3; M:129 gg/m3), SO2 (C:153 gg/m3; M:92 gg/m 3) and NO 2 (C:69 gg/m3; M:26 gg/m3). In Chorzow 24.8% (n = 1,142) and in Mikolow 25.6% (n = 480) of all eligible children aged 7-9 years were examined. Both groups (C and M) were similar in terms of sex, family history of asthma and cough lasting for 3 months (C:31.6%; M:32.3%). Frequency of the following respiratory symptoms statistically significantly (p < 0.05) differed between two groups: chest wheezing