Ross A, Collins M, Sanders C
Department of Postgraduate Medicine, University of Keele, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.
J Epidemiol Community Health. 1990 Jun;44(2):142-6. doi: 10.1136/jech.44.2.142.
The aim of the study was to seek for a possible association between the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections and air temperature and humidity in the home.
Recordings of temperature and relative humidity were made in living rooms and children's bedrooms over a six month period and related to incidence of upper respiratory tract infection.
The study was carried out in one general practice of 10,000 patients.
297 children aged 24-59 months were studied, selected in random order from the practice age-sex register.
Temperature and humidity recordings were made with thermohygrograph recorders over six days. Upper respiratory tract infections were recorded (a) retrospectively over the previous 12 months, and (b) during the study period. Past history of acute otitis media and recent family history of respiratory infection were also obtained. No significant association was found between the variables, although the bedrooms of children with reported upper respiratory tract infections were cooler overnight than those of non-infected children (mean difference 0.8 degrees C, 95% confidence limits 0.7 degrees C). No association was found between reported or recorded upper respiratory tract infections and age or type of home, family size, level of occupancy, social class, or smoking habits. Only 15 children (5%) were identified by their parents as having had asthma, but 58 (19.5%) had had a "wheezy chest". A greater proportion of children who wheezed slept in cooler bedrooms, had gas fires rather than central heating, and had more smokers in the house.
No association between upper respiratory tract infection and domestic temperature or humidity levels could be shown in this study. Since dampness is repeatedly presented as a health risk, further study is required.
本研究旨在探寻上呼吸道感染发病率与家庭气温及湿度之间可能存在的关联。
在六个月的时间里，对客厅和儿童卧室的温度及相对湿度进行记录，并将其与上呼吸道感染发病率相关联。
研究在一家拥有10000名患者的普通诊所开展。
研究了297名年龄在24至59个月之间的儿童，这些儿童是从诊所的年龄 - 性别登记册中随机选取的。
使用温湿度记录仪在六天内记录温度和湿度。对上呼吸道感染进行了如下记录：(a)回顾过去12个月的情况，以及(b)在研究期间的情况。还获取了急性中耳炎的既往病史和近期呼吸道感染的家族病史。尽管报告患有上呼吸道感染的儿童的卧室夜间温度比未感染儿童的卧室温度低（平均差值0.8摄氏度，95%置信区间0.7摄氏度），但未发现这些变量之间存在显著关联。在报告或记录的上呼吸道感染与年龄、家庭类型、家庭规模、居住水平、社会阶层或吸烟习惯之间未发现关联。只有15名儿童（5%）被父母认定患有哮喘，但有58名（19.5%）曾有“喘息性胸部疾病”。喘息儿童中，有更大比例的儿童睡在较凉爽的卧室，使用燃气取暖而非集中供暖，且家中吸烟者更多。
本研究未显示上呼吸道感染与家庭温度或湿度水平之间存在关联。鉴于潮湿一再被视为健康风险，需要进一步研究。
