Respiratory and Allergic Health Effects of Dampness, Mold, and Dampness-Related Agents: A Review of the Epidemiologic Evidence
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Systematic review of observational epidemiologic studies (graded by study design analogy).
OpenAlex W2048384449 · doi:10.1289/ehp.1002410
What was done
The authors reviewed peer-reviewed epidemiologic studies and quantitative meta-analyses published up to late 2009. They evaluated evidence for associations and causation between qualitative, subjective assessments of indoor dampness or mold and respiratory or allergic outcomes, and separately analyzed quantitative measurements of specific indoor microbiologic agents.
What was found
No quantitative effect sizes or counts of included studies were reported in the abstract. Qualitatively, visible indoor dampness or mold was consistently associated with asthma development, asthma exacerbation, current and ever asthma diagnosis, dyspnea, wheeze, cough, respiratory infections, bronchitis, allergic rhinitis, eczema, and upper respiratory tract symptoms in both allergic and nonallergic individuals. Evidence strongly suggested causation for asthma exacerbation in children. Specific measured microbiologic agents in dust showed limited and equivocal associations, including both adverse and protective effects.
Why it matters
The findings support broad indoor dampness and mold prevention and remediation to mitigate health risks, while demonstrating that measuring specific microbiologic agents is currently unsupported for guiding public health interventions.
Limits
The review relies on observational epidemiologic data, which are susceptible to confounding and exposure misclassification, especially given the qualitative or subjective exposure assessments. The abstract omits the number of reviewed studies, meta-analytic point estimates, confidence intervals, and specific study designs.
Cited by
- context Approximately 50% of buildings in the United States have water damage.