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Household environment, lifestyle behaviors, and dietary habits in relation to childhood atopic eczema in Shanghai, China

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Abstract

Purposes

We aim to investigate associations of the child’s individual characteristics, building characteristics, home environmental exposures, family lifestyle behaviors, and dietary habits on childhood eczema during lifetime-ever and in the last year before the survey.

Methods

During April 2011–April 2012, we conducted a cross-sectional study and collected 13,335 parents-reported questionnaires of 4–6-year-old children from 72 kindergartens in Shanghai, China. Logistic regression model was used to investigate associations.

Results

After adjusted for sex, age, family history of atopy, and questionnaire reporter, the factors which were strongly associated (increased odds >30% and p value <0.05) with lifetime-ever eczema included mother employed during pregnancy (adjusted OR 1.33), residence renovated during pregnancy (1.49) and in the child’s first year of life (1.31), using laminate (1.58) and solid (1.42) wood as material of floor covering (compared to using cement), residence located in urban district (1.38), and dampness-related exposures in the early residence (mold spots/stains: 1.41; mold odor: 1.41) and in the current residence (water damage: 1.33; damp stains: 1.34; mold spots: 1.32; and windows pane condensation: 1.31). Parental smoking, pet-keeping, and incense-burning had no significant associations with childhood eczema. Similar associations were found for eczema in the last year before the survey. Families with sick children likely changed lifestyle behaviors and dietary habits.

Conclusions

Childhood eczema could be influenced by many household environmental and non-environmental factors. Exposures during early lifetime likely have greater impact on childhood eczema than current exposures. Associations of lifestyle behaviors and dietary habits with childhood eczema could be modified by family avoidance behaviors.

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Acknowledgements

This work is financially supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China (51278302), Hujiang Foundation of China (D14003), The Innovation Program of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission (14ZZ132), and The Innovation Fund Project for Graduate Student of Shanghai (JWCXSL1401). The authors thank the Shanghai Municipal and District Bureau of Education for their supports and also express their thanks to all of the parents, and others who involved in the survey. We also greatly appreciate the helps from Prof. Yinping Zhang and Prof. Jan Sundell (Tsinghua University), Prof. Baizhan Li (Chongqing University), Associate Prof. Yuexia Sun (Tianjin University), Associate Prof. Zhuohui Zhao (Fudan University), and Mrs. Louise B. Weschler in the CCHH project in Shanghai.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering, School of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, 516 Jungong Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

      Jiao Cai, Wei Liu, Zhijun Zou & Chen Huang

    2. Tongji Architectural Design (Group) Company Limited (TJAD), Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

      Yu Hu

    3. R&B Technology (Shanghai) Company Limited, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

      Li Shen

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    1. Jiao Cai
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    2. Wei Liu
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    3. Yu Hu
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    Correspondence to Chen Huang.

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    Jiao Cai and Wei Liu have contributed equally to this paper.

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    Cai, J., Liu, W., Hu, Y. et al. Household environment, lifestyle behaviors, and dietary habits in relation to childhood atopic eczema in Shanghai, China. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 90, 141–159 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-016-1177-8

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