Asthma and chemical hypersensitivity: prevalence, etiology, and age of onset

Toxicol Ind Health. 2009 Feb;25(1):71-8. doi: 10.1177/0748233709102713.

Abstract

This study investigates asthma's national prevalence and potential overlap with chemical hypersensitivity. It also examines asthma's etiology, age of onset, and demographic characteristics. Data were collected from a geographically weighted random sample of the continental U.S. (1058 cases), in four seasonal cohorts (2005-2006). The study found that 12.9% of the sample report asthma, 11.6% report chemical hypersensitivity, and 31.4% of those with asthma report chemical hypersensitivity. Among asthmatics, 38% report irritation from scented products, 37.2% report health problems from air fresheners, and 13.6% report their asthma was caused by toxic exposure. Asthma cases affected each racial/ethic group in roughly the same proportion, with nearly 50% classified as childhood onset.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Age of Onset
  • Asthma / epidemiology*
  • Asthma / etiology
  • Child
  • Cohort Studies
  • Comorbidity
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Multiple Chemical Sensitivity / epidemiology*
  • Multiple Chemical Sensitivity / etiology
  • Population Surveillance*
  • Prevalence
  • Seasons
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Young Adult