Impact of mould and dampness on the prevalence of having asthma in European homes

Abstract

The occurrence of dampness is one of the major defects in dwellings across Europe, which is typically a result of defective building structures and adverse occupant behaviour. Consequently, dampness is likely to lead to mould growth and other associated structural damages. This paper aims at showing the impact of mould and dampness on the prevalence of having asthma in European homes. To evaluate the magnitude of the effect of mould in homes, a meta-analytic synthesis has been performed. In the case of asthma, the meta-study yielded that the odds ratio of having asthma in a damp and mouldy dwelling is significant with a value of 1.4. The analysis of the prevalence of people having asthma shows, that there is a higher share of people having asthma, if they live in damp or mouldy dwellings