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Summary. The
indoor and outdoor
environmental
pollution effects on
the respiratory
system of 3,559
children aged 9-12
were studied. It was
a cross-sectional
and interlocal (geographical
differentiation)
study. The research
was conducted during
the period between
2000-2001 in five
cities of Western
Macedonia and more
particularly: 1046
children from
Ptolemaida, 1249
children from Kozani,
466 from Florina,
419 from Kastoria
and 379 from Grevena.
The study was
performed by means
of a questionnaire
for the detection of
respiratory diseases
during childhood,
plus spirometry and
rhinomanometry
measurements. The
diachronic
quantitative
analysis of
environmental
pollutants was
conducted by The
Laboratory of
Physics of the
Atmosphere of the
Aristotle University
of Thessaloniki.
The environmental
pollution was found
to have a
detrimental effect
on the respiratory
system of children,
mainly attributable
to the occurrence of
rhinitis and
infectious
bronchitis. The
highest prevalence
of rhinitis (40.3%)
and infectious
bronchitis (12.1%)
was observed in
Ptolemaida, which is
a highly polluted
region, whereas the
lowest
(21.2% and 6.7%,
respectively) was
seen in Grevena, a
non-polluted area.
As for the indoor
pollution, maternal
smoking was found to
increase the
prevalence of
respiratory problems
in children. Finally,
the fathers
educational level
and a past history
of nursery school
attendance increase
the prevalence of
respiratory diseases
during childhood.
Keywords:
children, asthma,
rhinitis,
epidemiology,
pollution, Greece
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