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Biomedical subjects

J Sundell

Publications and source records attributed to J Sundell.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Prevalence of allergic diseases in schoolchildren in relation to family history, upper respiratory infections, and residential characteristics.

The prevalences of asthma, allergic rhinitis (AR), and eczema were analyzed in relation to retrospective risk factors from birth in a questionnaire study of schoolchildren in two areas covering the whole climatic span of Sweden: the Göteborg area on the southwestern coast (7-year-olds, n = 1649) and Kiruna, a mining town in the northernmost inland mountains (7-9-year-olds, n = 832). The strongest background factor, a family history of the diseases, was more common in children with another strong risk factor, particularly for asthma: high frequency of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). Other significant risk factors related to high indoor humidity caused an increased prevalence of both allergic diseases and URTI. Active mechanical ventilation of the homes caused a slight reduction of the prevalence of allergic diseases, and repainting or new wallpaper in the bedroom of the child after birth caused a moderately increased risk of allergic disease. This study illustrates the interaction between genetic and environmental risk factors with special emphasis on factors related to an unventilated indoor climate, which may have substantially contributed to the current increase of the diseases in the country.

Child↗
PubMed1995

Facial skin symptoms in visual display terminal (VDT) workers. A case-referent study of personal, psychosocial, building- and VDT-related risk indicators.

BACKGROUND: The Office Illness Project in northern Sweden, comprising both a screening questionnaire study of 4943 office workers and a case-referent study of facial skin symptoms in 163 subjects was recently completed. Previously published results from the survey showed that female gender, asthma/rhinitis, high psychosocial work load, visual display terminal (VDT) and paperwork were related to an increased prevalence of facial skin symptoms. METHODS: The case-referent study presented in this paper used data from the questionnaire supplemented by information from a clinical examination, a survey of psychosocial factors at work, building data and VDT-related factors from inspection and measurements taken at the work site. RESULTS: Psychosocial conditions and exposure to electromagnetic fields or conditions associated with such factors were related to an increased occurrence of skin symptoms. The results also indicated that personal factors such as atopic dermatitis and physical exposure factors influencing indoor air quality, such as paper exposure and cleaning frequency were related to an increased prevalence of symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that skin symptoms reported by VDT users have a multifactorial background.

Administrative Personnel↗
PubMed1995

Ventilation in homes infested by house-dust mites.

Thirty single-family homes with either high (> or = 2000 ng/g) or low (< or = 1000 ng/g) house-dust mite (HDM) allergen levels in mattress dust were examined for ventilation, thermal climate, and air quality (formaldehyde and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC). Elevated concentrations of HDM allergen in mattress and floor dust were associated with the difference in absolute humidity between indoor and outdoor air, as well as with low air-change rates of the home, particularly the bedroom. No correlation was found between concentration of TVOC or formaldehyde in bedroom air and HDM allergen concentration. In regions with a cold winter climate, the air-change rate of the home and the infiltration of outdoor air into the bedroom appear to be important for the infestation of HDM.

Air Pollution, Indoor↗
PubMed1994

The Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) in office workers. A case-referent study of personal, psychosocial and building-related risk indicators.

BACKGROUND: The Office Illness Project in Northern Sweden, comprising both a screening questionnaire study of 4943 office workers and a case-referent study of Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) in 464 subjects was recently completed. Previously published results from the survey showed that female gender asthma/rhinitis, high psychosocial work load, paper and visual display terminal (VDT) work were related to an increased prevalence of SBS symptoms. METHODS: The case-referent study presented in this paper used data from the questionnaire supplemented with information from a clinical examination, a survey of psychosocial factors at work building data from inspection and measurements taken at the work sites. RESULTS: Personal factors such as atopy and photosensitive skin, psychosocial conditions and physical exposure factors influencing indoor air quality (IAQ), such as outdoor air flow rates and the presence of photocopiers were related to an increased prevalence of the reported SBS symptoms. The results were established using multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The rate response relationship between actually measured ventilation rates and the prevalence of perceived SBS symptoms presents strong evidence for the association between IAQ factors and health.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Mite allergens during 18 months of intervention.

In Stockholm, Sweden, 17 children with newly diagnosed sensitization to house-dust mites (HDM) and 11 children with previously diagnosed HDM-sensitization were included in a study of HDM-allergen avoidance. Mattress dust was collected on repeated occasions during 18 months and assayed for concentration of major HDM allergens. During the first 12 months, the parents of the intervention group were instructed to intensify cleaning and airing of the child's bedroom. During the last 6 months of the study, the mattresses and pillows of seven children in the intervention group and sibling controls were encased in semipermeable polyurethane covers. The homes exhibited a high absolute indoor humidity throughout the year, and even during the winter the mean levels exceeded 7 g/kg. No mite allergen reduction was seen in the intervention group during the first year. However, among the newly diagnosed HDM-sensitized children, there was a mean reduction of the mattress mite allergen concentration of 83% (P = 0.02), and this was most pronounced in the homes with low humidity. At the end of the mattress encasement period, an average difference of 98% (P < 0.001) was found between the vacuumed amount of mite allergen on top of the covers and that underneath.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Indoor viable dust-bound microfungi in relation to residential characteristics, living habits, and symptoms in atopic and control children.

Floor dust was collected in the wintertime from the homes of 61 children sensitized to house dust mites, 57 children with sensitization to other aeroallergens, and 57 nonatopic control children. The dust was cultivated and microfungal growth was identified microscopically. Indoor humidity was measured, and condensation on windowpanes was registered during 1 winter week. Housing and sociodemographic and symptom data were obtained by a questionnaire. Penicillium, Alternaria, and Cladosporium were the three most common microfungi. The mean total number of colony-forming units per 30 mg of dust was significantly lower in the homes of the two atopic groups than in homes of the control group, which may be a result of allergen-sanitation measures. High colony-forming unit counts appeared to be related to damp housing. Weak associations were found between the occurrence of viable fungi in dust and allergic symptoms among the house dust mite-sensitized children. However, no consistent association between viable mold growth and sensitization to molds was observed. The health implications of indoor fungal exposure still remain unclear.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

House dust mite sensitization in children and residential characteristics in a temperate region.

House dust mite (Hdm) infestation used to be rare in Stockholm, but Hdm-sensitized children are now frequently observed, which probably indicates an increased infestation rate. This study was performed to elucidate determinants of Hdm sensitization in children living in the area. In a case-control study, 53 Hdm-sensitized children (cases), a group of non-Hdm-sensitized atopic children (N = 54), and a group of nonallergic neighborhood children (N = 53) were included. Mattress dust was analyzed with ELISA for content of Hdm allergens. Indoor humidity and temperature were measured, and questionnaire data were collected. Asthma was significantly more common in the Hdm-sensitized group than in the atopic control group. Hdm allergens were found in 40%, 19%, and 23% of the dust samples of the case group, atopic group, and neighborhood control groups, respectively. Only 15% of the dust samples of the Hdm-sensitized children contained Hdm allergens above the recommended threshold levels of sensitization of 2000 ng/gm of dust. Inadequate ventilation, which partly appeared to be a consequence of energy saving, appeared to be a risk factor for Hdm sensitization. This result may apply also to other temperate regions and suggests that the problem is preventable.

Adolescent↗