Housing characteristics and children's respiratory health in the Russian Federation

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.