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Biomedical subjects

T Husman

Publications and source records attributed to T Husman.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Validity and recall of information from questionnaires concerning respiratory infections among schoolchildren.

The aim of the study was to assess the reliability of questionnaire information on visits to a physician and the use of antibiotics taken for respiratory infections among schoolchildren attending a water-damaged school and a reference group of schoolchildren attending an undamaged school. Two similar questionnaires on respiratory morbidity in two consecutive years were sent to the parents. The information given on the questionnaires was compared with the patient's records of the local health centre. Although the overall total numbers of ambulatory visits in the patients' records and questionnaires seemed to indicate good reliability, a more detailed individual investigation showed poor recall validity from the questionnaires, including a high percentage of unreported visits to the local health centre from both schools. Underreporting was commoner in the control school than in index school. Recall was best for the children who had no visits to a doctor. Use of antibiotics had a better recall than ambulatory visits in both schools. The study indicates that information on health services in questionnaires is not reliable, at least when occurrences in a period of one year or more are evaluated. The use of patient records as a reference of accuracy is also unreliable, unless all the health care services available to the people in the community are covered.

Child↗
PubMed2004

The remediation of mold damaged school--a three-year follow-up study on teachers' health.

The health effects in teachers of a mold-damaged school before and during an extensive remediation process were assessed. Health data were collected with self-administered questionnaires from teachers (n=31) working in a moisture and mold damaged school and from the reference group of teachers (n=13) working in a non-damaged school. The questionnaire study was repeated three times. Spirometry was measured in 33 individuals in the spring 1997 and repeated in the spring 1999 and 2000. In the damaged school, a cluster of eight asthma cases was identified, the prevalence of asthma being 26%. Before the remediation, the number of sinusitis episodes was higher (p=0.040) and the mean duration of sick leaves longer (p=0.015) among the study group than in the reference group. A higher prevalence of hoarseness and perceived poor quality of indoor air were reported. During the follow-up, no new asthma cases appeared. After the remediation, bronchitis, conjunctivitis, symptoms of allergic rhinitis and the sum of respiratory infection episodes decreased significantly. Some of the asthmatics had low values in the spirometry but no changes in the lung function were observed at the group level. The remediation of the mold damage had beneficial effects on teachers' health.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Immunoglobulin G antibodies to moulds in school-children from moisture problem schools.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate mould-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies in children exposed to moisture and mould problems in their school, and the association between IgG antibodies and mould allergy, active or passive smoking and respiratory symptoms. METHODS: IgG antibodies were studied to 24 moulds in 93 children from three moisture problem schools and in 33 children from a reference school. The antibodies were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared to positive adult sera. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in mould-specific IgG concentrations between exposed and non-exposed school-children. Antibodies to moulds common in moisture damaged buildings were associated with allergic diseases, as well as with mould-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) or skin prick test (SPT) findings. Aspergillus fumigatus and A. versicolor were the moulds with the most consistent findings. Active and passive smoking were associated with low levels of antibodies to many moulds. Though the association between asthma, wheezing or cough symptoms, and IgG to moulds was not significant, 7 (39%) of the 18 children with multiple (> 7) elevated IgG findings suffered from asthma or wheezing. CONCLUSIONS: Allergy was, but asthma was not, associated with IgG antibodies to the moulds that can be found in moisture damaged buildings. However, no association was found between IgG antibodies to moulds and exposure to moisture and moulds in school.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Indoor air microbes and respiratory symptoms of children in moisture damaged and reference schools.

Microbial indoor air quality and respiratory symptoms of children were studied in 24 schools with visible moisture and mold problems, and in eight non-damaged schools. School buildings of concrete/brick and wooden construction were included. The indoor environment investigations included technical building inspections for visible moisture signs and microbial sampling using six-stage impactor for viable airborne microbes. Children's health information was collected by questionnaires. The effect of moisture damage on concentrations of fungi was clearly seen in buildings of concrete/brick construction, but not in wooden school buildings. Occurrence of Cladosporium, Aspergillus versicolor, Stachybotrys, and actinobacteria showed some indicator value for moisture damage. Presence of moisture damage in school buildings was a significant risk factor for respiratory symptoms in schoolchildren. Association between moisture damage and respiratory symptoms of children was significant for buildings of concrete/brick construction but not for wooden school buildings. The highest symptom prevalence was found during spring seasons, after a long exposure period in damaged schools. The results emphasize the importance of the building frame as a determinant of exposure and symptoms.

Actinobacteria↗
PubMed2002

Does heredity modify the association between farming and allergy in children?

AIM: It has been suggested that living on a farm decreases the risk of childhood allergy, especially if farming involves livestock. The aim of this study was to examine the association between farming and allergy in children, and the influence of atopic heredity in this association. METHODS: The cross-sectional data of the 7981 children aged 13-14 y who participated in the Finnish ISAAC study between the years 1994 and 1995 were used to evaluate the association between farming and allergy. RESULTS: Living on a farm was associated with a decreased risk of current symptoms of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis among all children (aOR 0.79; 95% CI 0.63, 0.99), and with a decreased risk of hay fever, especially among those children with a parental history of hayfever (aOR 0.60; 95% CI 0.40-0.89, p = 0.072 for interaction). The children of farmers with a history of hay fever also had a decreased risk of current wheeze (aOR 0.38; 95% CI 0.12-1.24, p = 0.040 for interaction). No significant association was found between farming and either asthma or eczema. Children living on a farm with livestock had the lowest risk of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (aOR 0.69), followed by those living on a farm without livestock (aOR 0.89) compared with the non-farming children (p-value for trend 0.024). CONCLUSION: Our results support the recent findings on a decreased risk of allergy among the children living on farms. A possible differential effect of parental history of hay fever on the relation of farming environment and the risk of allergic symptoms warrant further investigation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Increased prevalence of atopy among children exposed to mold in a school building.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to assess the occurrence of immunoglobulin E sensitization to common environmental allergens (atopy) and new allergic diseases among schoolchildren after starting school in a water-damaged school building. The staff and pupils of a Finnish elementary school with visible water damage and mold complained of respiratory and skin symptoms. The school building was examined and widespread moisture damage was found. A control school with no visible water damage was also examined. No indication of exceptional microbial growth was found in the samples taken from this school. METHODS: History of allergic diseases and the year of diagnosis were established by a questionnaire. IgE antibodies to the common environmental allergens were determined from randomly selcted groups from both schools. RESULTS: Elevated IgE values were significantly more common among the exposed children, as was the occurrence of new allergic diseases after the children started at the school. CONCLUSIONS: The odds ratios for the IgE values of the study groups indicated a possible relationship between exposure to microorganisms and IgE sensitization. Exposure to spores, toxins, and other metabolites of molds may have complex results with unknown immunogenic effects that may act as a nonspecific trigger for allergic sensitization leading to the development of atopy.

Child↗
PubMed2001

Comparison of two-level and three-level classifications of moisture-damaged dwellings in relation to health effects.

A total of 630 randomly selected dwellings were surveyed for visible signs of moisture damage by civil engineers, and questionnaire responses were collected from the occupants (a total of 1,017 adults) to analyse the association between moisture damage and occupant health. A three-level grading system was developed, which took into account the number of damage sites in buildings and estimated the severity of the damage. In the present study, this grading system was tested as an improved model of moisture damage-related exposure in comparison to a conventional two-category system: based on independent, technical criteria it also allowed dose-response to be estimated. The questionnaire probed 28 individual health symptoms, based on earlier reported associations with building moisture and mould-related exposure. Criteria in evaluating the goodness of the selected exposure model were (1) dose-responsiveness and (2) higher risk compared to a two-level classification. Dose-responsiveness was observed with the three-level classification in 7, higher risk in 10, and both criteria in 5 out of 28 health symptoms. Two-level classification had higher risk in 4 health symptoms. Dose-dependent risk increases for respiratory infections and lower respiratory symptoms, and recurrent irritative and skin symptoms were observed with the three-level classification using symptom score variables. Although the results did not unambiguously support the three-level model, they underline the importance of developing more accurate exposure models in assessing the severity of moisture damage.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Analysis of moisture findings in the interior spaces of Finnish housing stock.

A grading system was developed to rate the moisture damage profile of dwellings and to study the relationship between moisture-induced indoor air problems and occupant health. A total of 630 randomly selected houses and apartments, built between 1950 and 1989, were visually inspected. Moisture observations were standardized into three damage levels. Thus, a system to classify the homes into three grades was devised. The two grades of homes associated with the highest levels of damage were graded as index homes. Overall, 51% of the sample had some kind of moisture fault in them and one in every three homes (33%) was classified as an index home. The mean number of damage incidents in the index dwellings varied from 1.4 to 2.6. The mean number of damage incidents in the reference homes was 0.28. Prevalence of index dwellings was significantly higher (p < 0.01) in houses (38%) than in apartments (26%). There was no major difference in the prevalence of index buildings in houses built in any particular decade (30-35%). Moisture was observed in 28% of bathrooms, in 10% of kitchens, and in 17% of other spaces. Indoor relative humidity (RH) levels were low in most homes.

Air Pollution, Indoor↗
PubMed2001

Comparison of the indoor air quality in mould damaged and reference buildings in a subarctic climate.

The purpose of this study was to search for objective parameters most relevant to indicate microbial problems of buildings in cold climate. Various indoor characteristics were compared in nine buildings with known history of moisture problems and visible mould (index) and in nine matched reference buildings. The concentrations of airborne viable fungal had a clear difference between the two groups of buildings. In this study, airborne concentrations of viable bacteria, formaldehyde, total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) and the occurrence of house dust mites in these index buildings were compared with the levels of the pollutants in matched reference buildings. Fungal growth and flora on moist building materials were also studied. The concentrations of TVOC were slightly higher in the index buildings than in the reference buildings. However, the differences in the concentrations or appearance of any of the studied pollutants were not significant. These parameters do not seem to be relevant indicators of microbial growth or surrogates of microbial exposure. Thus, fungal concentration and composition of fungal genera in the air still seems to be the best indicator for moisture problems among the studied pollutants. In the moist building materials, some fungal genera, such as Ulocladium and Chaetophoma were detected that were not found in indoor air showing that building material samples give additional information on the microflora of the building.

Actinomycetales↗
PubMed1999

Infections in early childhood and risk of atopic disease.

Having more siblings has been shown to be associated with lower risk of atopic diseases. This might be due to the higher number of infections in larger families. Because children attending day care centres have more respiratory infections, we analysed the association of number of siblings and day care attendance in children aged 1-3 y with atopic disease in a cross sectional survey of 8387 schoolchildren aged 13-14 y and their parents in four regions of Finland. Having no siblings, compared to three or more siblings, was associated with significantly higher risk of lifetime history of hay fever (odds ratios (OR) 1.53, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25-1.86) and atopic eczema (OR 1.28, 95%CI 1.04-1.56), and higher risk (ns) of doctor-diagnosed asthma ever (OR 1.26, 95%CI 0.85-1.88). Less strong associations were observed with the number of older siblings (birth order). No associations were observed with current symptoms of these diseases during the last 12 mo. Attending a day care centre at the age of 1-3 y was not associated with decreased risk of any of the atopic diseases studied, but, in contrast to the hypothesis, was associated with slightly increased risk of current symptoms of hay fever (OR 1.34, 95%CI 1.12-1.60). The present results suggest that other factors than early childhood respiratory infections explain the association between number of siblings and future risk of atopic disease.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1999

Asthma and respiratory infections in school children with special reference to moisture and mold problems in the school.

AIM OF THE STUDY: Initially, we performed a questionnaire study on 622 school children aged 7 to 13 y. The study was supplemented with a clinical study including skin prick tests to 13 molds in 212 (34%) children with doctor-diagnosed asthma or parental-reported wheezing or prolonged cough. These children were attending one of two elementary schools, one with moisture problems (index) school, the other being the control school. The objective of the study was to evaluate whether exposure to moisture and sensitization to molds are associated with respiratory manifestations in school children. RESULTS: The prevalence of asthma was 4.8%, which was similar in the children from both schools. The children from the index school more often had wheezing (16% vs 6%; p <0.001) and cough (21% vs 9%: p < 0.001) symptoms than control children. Positive skin reactions to molds were rare (2.4%), being present in 7% of asthmatic and in 1-2% of non-asthmatic children (NS). Lower respiratory tract infections were more common in the spring than in the fall in children from the index school, but not in control children, and the difference between the schools was significant in emergency visits (OR =2.0, p <0.01) and antibiotic courses (OR = 2.1, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: We found evidence of an association between moisture or mold problems in the school building and the occurrence of respiratory infections, repeated wheezing and prolonged cough in school children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Nitric oxide and proinflammatory cytokines in nasal lavage fluid associated with symptoms and exposure to moldy building microbes.

Epidemiological data indicate that living or working in a moldy building is associated with increased risk of respiratory symptoms and disease related to inflammatory reactions, but biochemical evidence linking cause and effect is still scarce. The staff working in a mold-contaminated school, and a reference group without such exposure, were studied. Nasal lavage was performed and health data were collected with a questionnaire at the end of the spring term, after a 2.5-mo summer vacation, and at the end of the fall term. Here we show that concentrations of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and nitric oxide (NO) in nasal lavage fluid were significantly higher in the exposed than in the control subjects at the end of the first exposure period. These inflammatory mediators decreased to reference group concentrations during the period when there was no exposure and the production of NO and IL-6 increased again during the reexposure in the fall term. Reports of cough, phlegm, rhinitis, eye irritation, and fatigue paralleled the changes in the measured inflammatory markers. These results point to an association between inflammatory markers in the nasal lavage fluid, the high prevalence of respiratory symptoms among the occupants, and chronic exposure to molds in the indoor environment.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

An approach to management of critical indoor air problems in school buildings.

This study was conducted in a school center that had been the focus of intense public concern over 2 years because of suspected mold and health problems. Because several attempts to find solutions to the problem within the community were not satisfactory, outside specialists were needed for support in solving the problem. The study group consisted of experts in civil engineering, indoor mycology, and epidemiology. The studies were conducted in close cooperation with the city administration. Structures at risk were opened, moisture and temperature were measured, and the causes of damage were analyzed. Microbial samples were taken from the air, surfaces, and materials. Health questionnaires were sent to the schoolchildren and personnel. Information on the measurements and their results was released regularly to school employees, students and their parents, and to the media. Repairs were designed on the basis of this information. Moisture damage was caused mainly by difficult moisture conditions at the building site, poor ventilation, and water leaks. Fungal genera (concentrations <200 colony-forming units (cfu)/m(3), <3000 cfu/cm(2)) typical to buildings with mold problems (e.g., Aspergillus versicolor, Eurotium) were collected from the indoor air and surfaces of the school buildings. Where moisture-prone structures were identified and visible signs of damage or elevated moisture content were recorded, the numbers of microbes also were high; thus microbial results from material samples supported the conclusions made in the structural studies. Several irritative and recurrent symptoms were common among the upper secondary and high school students. The prevalence of asthma was high (13%) among the upper secondary school students. During the last 4 years, the incidence of asthma was 3-fold that of the previous 4-year period.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Repeated hand urticaria due to contact with fishfood.

BACKGROUND: The etiology of urticaria is often difficult to determine. However, in case of repeated circumstance-connected urticaria, the reason may be easily clarifyable. CASE: A 51-year-old healthy woman repeatedly experienced occupational hand urticaria when handling fish food. An unexpected reason for the urticaria was found in that the fishfood contained histamine as a "contaminant". CONCLUSIONS: In fishfood batches, biological degradation can produce histamine and possibly other toxic substances that can lead to occupational health problems.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Control of exposure to airborne viable microorganisms during remediation of moldy buildings; report of three case studies.

Three different techniques for reducing exposure to microorganisms were tested during remediation of moldy buildings. Concentrations of spores (fungi and actinomycetes) were determined by filter sampling before, during, and after remediation. The local exhaust method used for asbestos dismantling was the most effective control method. In the construction zone, concentrations of microorganisms were 4-25 times higher during remediation than before it. In the adjacent area no increase in concentrations was seen. When the construction zone was placed under negative pressure with a fan and isolated with a plastic barrier, concentrations of microorganisms were about 100 times higher there during remediation work. Nevertheless, levels remained low in the adjacent area. The use of a portable exhaust fan with a side-draft hood decreased concentrations of fungi to one-tenth compared with demolition without the control technology. Furthermore, this method prevented the migration of fungal spores from the construction zone to the adjacent area, although it was less effective in prevention of actinomycete spore migration. It also decreased the levels of microorganisms in the construction zone below the preconstruction level within 2 hours. This study showed that levels of airborne microorganisms, including from the working area to adjacent area, can be reduced with commonly used dust control methods during demolition work. However, microorganism levels in the construction zone remained elevated. Therefore, personal protection of construction workers is needed even with control techniques.

Air Microbiology↗
PubMed1997

Moisture and mould problems in schools and respiratory manifestations in schoolchildren: clinical and skin test findings.

OBJECTIVE: We performed a clinical study in 99 children attending schools with moisture problems and compared the findings with those of 34 children from a reference school. The aim of the study was to evaluate the possible association between respiratory or allergic diseases in the pupils and moisture or mould problems in the school buildings. RESULTS: Asthma was diagnosed in nine (6.7%) children: eight of them came from the moisture-problem schools and all were over 10 y old. In addition, 17 non-asthmatic children had suffered from wheezing and 21 from long-term cough, both symptoms being suggestive of occult asthma. If moisture problems were observed both at home and in the school, the frequency of asthma was 21% and the combined frequency of asthma and wheezing was 43%. The presence of allergic rhinoconjuntivitis or atopic dermatitis had no association with moisture or mould problems. We performed skin-prick tests to 13 moulds in all the 133 children. A positive reaction (> 3 mm) was observed in only six (5%) of them. All six positive children reacted to at least one moisture-indicative mould, Fusarium roseum, Aspergillus fumigatus, Phoma herbarum or Rhodotorula rubra. None of these cases came from the reference school. There was a significant association between positive reactions to moisture-indicative moulds and asthma; four (44%) of the nine children with asthma had such reactions. In addition, all the 6 reactive children had either asthma or wheezing. CONCLUSIONS: We report preliminary evidence for an association between moisture or mould problems in the school building and the presence of manifest and occult asthma in the pupils. Our results show that skin-test positivity to moulds is rare in children. However, reactivity to moisture-indicative moulds seems to be associated with the occurrence of asthma or wheezing.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Prevalence of asthma symptoms in video and written questionnaires among children in four regions of Finland.

The aim of this study was to determine whether there are regional differences in the prevalence of childhood asthma in Finland. A secondary objective was to assess the concordance between a written and a video questionnaire on asthma symptoms. In 1994-1995, the self-reported prevalence of asthma symptoms in four regions of Finland was studied among 11,607 schoolchildren aged 13-14 yrs, as part of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). The ISAAC written and video (AVQ 3,0) questionnaires were administered in the school setting. The prevalences of any wheezing during the previous 12 months in the ISAAC video questionnaire were 10% in East Finland (Kuopio County, n=2,821), 12% in South Finland (Helsinki area, n=2,771), 12% in Southwest Finland (Turku and Pori County, n=2,983), and 11% in North Finland (Lapland, n=3,032). The prevalences in the ISAAC written questionnaire were 13, 20, 15, and 16%, respectively. The surveys were performed during winter, except in Helsinki where the survey was carried out mainly during the spring pollen season. During autumn, the prevalence in the written questionnaire in Helsinki was 16%. In multivariate analysis, boys had a lower prevalence than girls, and smokers a threefold higher prevalence than nonsmokers. In conclusion, the prevalence of childhood asthma is lower in Finland than in other European countries, and may be even lower in the eastern part of the country. In contrast to the results from some other European countries, prevalences were lower in the video than in the written questionnaire, which suggests that translating the word "wheezing" into other languages, including Finnish, may produce results that cannot be compared. The strong association of smoking with wheeze both in the video and written questionnaires should be considered in further analysis of the ISAAC study.

Adolescent↗