HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2007.118398v1 98/5/869    most recent Submit a response Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Cummings, K. J. Articles by Kreiss, K. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Cummings, K. J. Articles by Kreiss, K. Related Collections Other Respiratory Health Asthma Housing and Health Prevention

Kristin J. Cummings, MD, MPH, Jean Cox-Ganser, PhD, Margaret A. Riggs, PhD, MPH, Nicole Edwards, MS, Gerald R. Hobbs, PhD and Kathleen Kreiss, MD

At the time of the study, Kristin J. Cummings and Margaret A. Riggs were with the Epidemic Intelligence Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Morgantown, WV, and Cincinnati, OH. Jean Cox-Ganser, Nicole Edwards, and Kathleen Kreiss are with NIOSH, Morgantown. Gerald R. Hobbs is with West Virginia University, Morgantown.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Kristin J. Cummings, MD, MPH, 1095 Willowdale Rd, MS 2800, Morgantown, WV 26505 (e-mail: cvx5{at}cdc.gov).

Objectives. We investigated the relation between respiratory symptoms and exposure to water-damaged homes and the effect of respirator use in posthurricane New Orleans, Louisiana.

Methods. We randomly selected 600 residential sites and then interviewed 1 adult per site. We created an exposure variable, calculated upper respiratory symptom (URS) and lower respiratory symptom (LRS) scores, and defined exacerbation categories by the effect on symptoms of being inside water-damaged homes. We used multiple linear regression to model symptom scores (for all participants) and polytomous logistic regression to model exacerbation of symptoms when inside (for those participating in clean-up).

Results. Of 553 participants (response rate=92%), 372 (68%) had participated in clean-up; 233 (63%) of these used a respirator. Respiratory symptom scores increased linearly with exposure (P<.05 for trend). Disposable-respirator use was associated with lower odds of exacerbation of moderate or severe symptoms inside water-damaged homes for URS (odds ratio (OR)=.51; 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.24, 1.09) and LRS (OR=0.33; 95% CI=0.13, 0.83).

Conclusions. Respiratory symptoms were positively associated with exposure to water-damaged homes, including exposure limited to being inside without participating in clean-up. Respirator use had a protective effect and should be considered when inside water-damaged homes regardless of activities undertaken.