Environ Health Toxicol.  2014 ;29(1):e2014017. 10.5620/eht.e2014017.

Association between exposure to antimicrobial household products and allergic symptoms

• Hong S
• Kwon HJ
• Choi WJ
• Lim WR
• Kim J
• Kim K

• KMID: 2380110
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5620/eht.e2014017

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Antimicrobial chemicals are used in a variety of household and personal care products. Exposure to antimicrobial household products has been hypothesized to lead to allergic diseases in children.
METHODS
We investigated antimicrobial household product exposure and allergic symptoms in Korean children. An antimicrobial exposure (AE) score was derived. To examine the symptoms of allergic diseases (current wheeze, current rhinitis, and current eczema) in the past 12 months, we used a questionnaire based on the core module of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Children. Complete data for the analysis were available for 25,805 of the 35,590 (72.5%) children.
RESULTS
The prevalence of current allergic diseases was as follows: wheeze, 5.6%; allergic rhinitis, 32.6%; and eczema, 17.7%. The mean (standard deviation) AE score was 14.3 (9.3) (range: 0-40). Compared with subjects with a low AE score (reference), subjects with a high AE score (fourth quartile) were more likely to have symptoms of wheezing and allergic rhinitis (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] for wheezing 1.24, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-1.45, p for trend=0.24; aOR for allergic rhinitis 1.30, 95% CI, 1.20-1.40, p<0.01).
CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that frequent use of antimicrobial household products was associated with current wheeze and current allergic rhinitis.

Keyword

Allergic diseases; Allergic rhinitis; Antimicrobial; Asthma; Children; Triclosan

MeSH Terms

Asthma
Child
Eczema
Family Characteristics
Household Products*
Humans
Hypersensitivity
Odds Ratio
Prevalence
Respiratory Sounds
Rhinitis
Triclosan
Surveys and Questionnaires
Triclosan