Characteristics of the study population and prevalence of respiratory symptoms and asthma in dry versus damp homes
| Any dampness | p value | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| No (n = 13122) | Yes (n = 2873) | ||
| Values are percentages unless otherwise stated. | |||
| Mean (SD) age (years) | 40.1 (7.3) | 38.5 (7.2) | <0.0001 |
| Women | 52.1 | 57.0 | <0.0001 |
| Smoking history | 0.0008 | ||
| Never smokers | 46.2 | 42.9 | |
| Ex-smokers | 25.1 | 25.2 | |
| Current smokers | 28.6 | 31.9 | |
| Type of housing | <0.0001 | ||
| Apartment | 40.2 | 50.4 | |
| Semi-detached | 15.5 | 14.3 | |
| Detached | 44.2 | 35.2 | |
| Age of housing (years) | <0.0001 | ||
| 0–10 | 10.7 | 5.9 | |
| 11–20 | 19.6 | 16.4 | |
| 21–40 | 34.1 | 36.0 | |
| >40 | 35.7 | 41.7 | |
| Respiratory symptoms | |||
| Wheeze | 19.1 | 26.0 | <0.0001 |
| Nocturnal breathlessness | 4.4 | 8.4 | <0.0001 |
| Nocturnal cough | 27.2 | 36.5 | <0.0001 |
| Productive cough | 16.6 | 22.3 | <0.0001 |
| Asthma | 6.0 | 7.7 | 0.0009 |