Association of household cleaning agents and disinfectants with asthma in young German adults

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Tobias Weinmann - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)
  • Jessica Gerlich - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)
  • Sabine Heinrich - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)
  • Dennis Nowak - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)
  • Erika Von Mutius - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)
  • Christian Vogelberg - , Department of Paediatrics, TUD Dresden University of Technology (Author)
  • Jon Genuneit - , Ulm University (Author)
  • Stefanie Lanzinger - , Ulm University (Author)
  • Saba Al-Khadra - , Deutsche PalliativStiftung (Author)
  • Tina Lohse - , University of Zurich (Author)
  • Irina Motoc - , Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) (Author)
  • Viola Walter - , German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) (Author)
  • Katja Radon - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)

Abstract

Objectives: We scrutinised the association of private use of household sprays and disinfectants with asthma incidence in young adults in the transition from school to working life. Methods: Between 2007 and 2009,2051 young adults aged 19-24 years living in two major German cities took part in the Study on Occupational Allergy Risks II. Self-reported exposure to household sprays and disinfectants was characterised according to a composite score for frequency of use as no use (score=0), low use (score between 1 and the median), medium use (score between the median and the 90th percentile) and high use (score above the 90th percentile). Two outcome variables (current asthma and current wheezing) with four mutually exclusive categories (never, incident, persistent and remittent) were used for the risk analyses. Multinomial logistic regression models examined the association between the frequency of using household sprays and disinfectants with asthma and wheezing adjusting for potential confounders. Results: Compared with no use, high use of disinfectants was associated with a more than twofold increased odds of incident asthma (OR 2.79, 95% CI 1.14 to 6.83). In addition, low/medium use of disinfectants was associated with remittent asthma (OR 2.39, 95% CI 1.29 to 4.47). The evidence for an association between high usage of household sprays and asthma incidence was weak (OR 2.79, 95% CI 0.84 to 9.20). Conclusion: Our results support the hypothesis of an association between the use of cleaning products and elevated risks for asthma and wheezing in young adults at the start of working life.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)684-690
Number of pages7
JournalOccupational and Environmental Medicine
Volume74
Issue number9
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2017
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 85027543999
PubMed 28483971

Keywords

Keywords

  • asthma, disinfectants, sprays, wheezing, young adults