Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2007 Feb;115(2):215-20.
doi: 10.1289/ehp.9412. Epub 2006 Nov 7.

Dust weight and asthma prevalence in the National Survey of Lead and Allergens in Housing (NSLAH)

Leslie Elliott  1 , Samuel J Arbes, Eric S Harvey, Robert C Lee, Päivi M Salo, Richard D Cohn, Stephanie J London, Darryl C Zeldin
Affiliations

Dust weight and asthma prevalence in the National Survey of Lead and Allergens in Housing (NSLAH)

Leslie Elliott et al. Environ Health Perspect. 2007 Feb.

Abstract

Background: Settled dust has been used in studies to assess exposures to allergens and other biologically active components, but it has not been considered in the aggregate in relation to respiratory health outcomes in the general population.

Objective: We addressed whether total house dust weight, an index of total dust exposure, was associated with respiratory health outcomes in the National Survey of Lead and Allergens in Housing (1998-1999) (NSLAH).

Methods: NSLAH was a cross-sectional survey designed to represent permanently occupied housing units in the United States. In each household, a questionnaire was administered and settled dust was vacuumed from five locations. Linear regression models were used to identify predictors of dust weight; logistic regression models were used to examine the relationship between dust weight and asthma and wheeze.

Results: Dust weight samples were available for 829 households, and survey information was available for 2,456 participants (children and adults). Lower income, older homes, household pets, having a smoker in the house, and less frequent cleaning predicted higher dust weight levels in U.S. households. Higher levels of dust weight were associated with greater odds of current asthma and wheeze. The strongest associations were seen for wheeze [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.99; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.21-3.28 for bedroom bed dust; OR = 2.81; 95% CI, 1.52-5.21 for upholstery dust). These associations persisted when adjusting for allergen and endotoxin exposures.

Conclusions: Dust weight, an index of total dust exposure in the home, may contribute to respiratory outcomes independently of the exposure to specific components.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution of dust weight (mg) by location in households, from the NSLAH, 1998–1999. Abbreviations: LR, living room; Max, maximum. Each box extends from the 25th to the 75th percentiles, and the error bars mark the maximum and minimum nonzero value. The dot represents the geometric mean for each location, and the horizontal line represents the median.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Allermann L, Meyer HW, Poulsen OM, Nielsen JB, Gyntelberg F. Inflammatory potential of dust from schools and building related symptoms. Occup Environ Med. 2003;60:e5. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Arshad SH, Tariq SM, Matthews S, Hakim E. Sensitization to common allergens and its association with allergic disorders at age 4 years: a whole population birth cohort study. Pediatrics. 2001;108:e33. - PubMed
    1. Baur X, Chen Z, Liebers V. Exposure-response relationships of occupational inhalative allergens. Clin Exp Allergy. 1998;28:537–544. - PubMed
    1. Bernton HS, Brown H. Insect allergy: the allergenicity of the excrement of the cockroach. Ann Allergy. 1970;28:543–547. - PubMed
    1. Bornehag C-G, Sundell J, Weschler CJ, Sigsgaard T, Lundgren B, Hasselgren M, et al. The association between asthma and allergic symptoms in children and phthalates in house dust: a nested case–control study. Environ Health Perspect. 2004;112:1393–1397. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types