Rhinitis is one of the most common respiratory diseases, influenced by various environmental factors such as green space, air pollution and indoor microbiomes. However, their interactions and combined effects have not been reported. We recruited 1121 preschool children from day care centers in a northern city of China. Health and demographic data were collected through questionnaires answered by the children’s parents. Surrounding green space was assessed by Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) and land cover data of grassland proportion within 1500/3000 m. Ambient air pollution was estimated using the inverse distance weighted (IDW), and the indoor microbiome in classroom vacuum dust was profiled by bacterial 16S rRNA and fungal ITS amplicon sequencing. Mixed-effect logistic regression revealed the proportion of natural grassland, grassland leaf-off and total grassland was negatively associated with current rhinitis. Stratified analysis indicated that greater green space exposure was associated with a reduced current rhinitis in children at high levels of air pollution. Additionally, grassland also protects children against environmental tobacco smoke at home. Indoor microbiome analysis showed Haemophilus and Dolosigranulum were enriched in low-rhinitis day care centers, while Amaricoccus, Blautia and Mycosphaerella were enriched in high-rhinitis day care centers. Mediation analysis indicated that the indoor microbiome did not have significant mediating effects on the relationship between green space and children’s current rhinitis. This is the first study to reveal interactions of green space, air pollution and indoor microbiome on rhinitis, providing new insights into how environmental factors collectively influence respiratory health in children.

Background: The role of the indoor microbiome in sick building syndrome (SBS) is well-recognized, yet prior studies have been limited to single-center analyses, limiting a broader understanding and applicability of their findings. Methods: We conducted a multicenter indoor microbiome and metabolome investigation for SBS, involving 1139 middle school students across three regions in Malaysia (Johor Bahru, Terengganu, and Penang). Using high-throughput amplicon sequencing and untargeted LC-MS, indoor microbiome and metabolites were characterized from classroom dust samples. Results: The study found that the prevalence of SBS symptoms was high across all three centers (51.0% to 54.6%). Environmental characteristics, including indoor NO2 and CO2 concentrations and total weight of indoor dust, were positively associated with SBS (p < 0.01, linear regression). Curtobacterium in Terengganu was negatively associated with SBS, and Clostridium perfringens in Johor Bahru was positively associated with SBS (p < 0.01, FDR < 0.05). Whereas all identified fungal taxa, including an uncharacterized uc_f_Auriculariaceae_sp., Duportella kuehneroides, and Wallemia mellicola, were positively associated with SBS (p < 0.01, FDR < 0.05) in Johor Bahru and Terengganu. Mediation analysis revealed that the adverse health effects of NO2 on SBS were partially mediated by the increased abundance of uc_f_Auriculariaceae_sp. (p < 0.05, total effect mediated 51.40%). Additionally, potential protective metabolites (S-adenosylmethionine, N-acetylserotonin, sphinganine, 4-hydroxy-2-quinolone, and (2E,4Z,8E)-Colneleic acid) were mainly derived from environmental microorganisms, conferring protective effects against nasal symptoms and tiredness. In contrast, synthetic chemicals were associated with higher SBS symptoms, inducing eye and nasal symptoms. Conclusions: This study emphasizes both the significance of fostering a balanced indoor microbiome/metabolite and the necessity to reduce exposure to deleterious substances, providing new insights for future targeted intervention strategies.

Higher air temperature and increased ambient ozone (O3) concentration have been associated with childhood rhinitis risk. However, the potential mediating role of elevated O3 in the increased childhood rhinitis risk due to higher air temperature exposure has not been examined. This large-scale cross-sectional study included 40,103 preschool children from 7 Chinese capital cities. Information on ever-rhinitis, current-rhinitis, and doctor-diagnosed allergic rhinitis (AR) was collected using a standardized questionnaire. Average air temperature (TEMavg) and O3 concentration in the whole year, warm season, and cold season were estimated at 1km spatial resolution. The findings revealed that exposure to higher air temperature (annual TEMavg, warm season TEMavg, and cold season TEMavg) and ambient O3 (annual O3, and warm season O3) were associated with an elevated risk of ever-rhinitis, current-rhinitis, and doctor-diagnosed AR. Moreover, elevated O3 concentration played important mediation effects on the relationships between higher air temperature and childhood rhinitis risk, with the mediated proportions ranging from 19.92% to 35.14% for the whole year, 18.62% to 32.82% for the warm season, and 3.85% to 13.32% for the cold season. Our study highlighted that controlling O3 pollution may be an effective approach to mitigate the increasing childhood rhinitis risk due to global warming.

The upper northern Thailand is well-known as abundant of variety of crop production, including several vegetables, longans, lychees, and mangoes, as well as paddy rice. In Thailand, village health volunteers (VHVs) are an essential component of the primary healthcare system. This study aims to determine the concentration of urinary dialkylphosphates (DAPs), the common organophosphate (OP) insecticide metabolites, and the relationship between DAPs and malondialdehyde (MDA), an oxidative stress biomarker among VHVs in two post-harvest seasons. The urinary DAPs and MDA were determined in two post-harvest seasons in 2021 and 2022. The results revealed the total DAPs and MDA concentrations were significantly higher in 2021 than in 2022, may cause by locked down during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, this made VHVs less faming activity. In 2021, the post-harvest season showed a significant association between total DMPs, with total DAPs and MDA (β = 1.53 and 1.59, respectively). While in the 2022 post-harvest season, there was a significant relationship between the total DEPs and MDA, with β = 1.44 and border line reached in total DAPs with β = 1.43. This study suggested that OP exposure in post-harvest season depends on insecticides used in each crop production. In addition, OP exposure can cause oxidative stress in the human body via urinary DAPs and MDA expressions among farmers. Hence the protection of insecticides exposure using personal protective equipment (PPE) is crucial.

Students spend most of their daytime in classrooms to perform academic activities. The indoor climate, PM2.5 levels and ventilation rates in these classrooms are essential to students’ health and learning efficiency. The present study aimed to investigate the indoor climate, PM2.5 levels and ventilation rates in Chinese elementary school classrooms. Investigations and measurements were conducted in 47 classrooms across 10 elementary schools in the Tianjin area of China. We continuously monitored air temperature, relative humidity, PM2.5 concentration, CO2 concentration and ventilation rate from January 2019 to June 2021. The study also included short-term measurements of formaldehyde, total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), and ultrafine particles during different seasons. Key findings indicate that the median ventilation rate was below the Chinese standard requirement in most classrooms. Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in ventilation rates was observed. Further analysis revealed that changes in temperature cannot fully account for these variations. The increase may be related to heightened ventilation awareness. The median CO2 ranged from 1043 to 2237 ppm, emphasizing the need for improved ventilation. The concentrations of the air pollutants (TVOC, formaldehyde, PM2.5) in all classrooms were generally below their respective guideline values. The median ultrafine particle concentration ranged from 5297 to 9148 particles/cm3. The study also highlighted the impact of seasonal variations on indoor air quality, with winter months presenting higher pollutant levels due to limited ventilation.

Antibiotic resistance genes(ARGs) and pathogens pose a global health challenge, particularly for vulnerable children. However, limited knowledge is on their existence in home environments where children spend majority of time, even less on urban-rural differences. We collected settled dust from children's homes in urban(n = 31) and rural (n = 34) areas of Shanghai, China, and analyzed microbiomes, ARGs and pathogens through metagenomic sequencing. Home dust microbial compositions differed significantly between urban and rural environment. ARGs were widely detected in home environment (rural:758 subtypes; urban:733). Significant urban-rural differences were also observed in ARGs and pathogens composition, diversity, co-occurrence patterns, assembly processes and drivers. Specifically, rural dust was enriched with more differentially abundant ARG subtypes. Urban dust was enriched with clinically critical multidrug-resistant pathogens (e.g. Acinetobacter baumannii), contrasting with rural areas enriched in plant-associated pathogens. Stochastic processes dominated the assembly of ARGs and pathogens, while environmental factors partially explained their variations. Temperature was positively associated with total ARG abundance in both areas. Residential greenness had a positive relationship with ARG abundance in rural but negative in urban settings. Our findings indicated children's homes as reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance, urging vigilance against rural ARG enrichment and urban multidrug-resistant pathogen risks for pediatric health.

Background/Objectives: The integration of microbiome and metabolome data could unveil profound insights into biological processes. However, widely used multi-omic data analyses often employ a stepwise mining approach, failing to harness the full potential of multi-omic datasets and leading to reduced detection accuracy. Synergistic analysis incorporating microbiome/metabolome data are essential for deeper understanding. Method: This study introduces a Coupled Matrix and Tensor Factorization (CMTF) framework for the joint analysis of microbiome and metabolome data, overcoming these limitations. Two CMTF frameworks were developed to factorize microbial taxa, functional pathways, and metabolites into latent factors, facilitating dimension reduction and biomarker identification. Validation was conducted using three diverse microbiome/metabolome datasets, including built environments and human gut samples from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and COVID-19 studies. Results: Our results revealed biologically meaningful biomarkers, such as Bacteroides vulgatus and acylcarnitines associated with IBD and pyroglutamic acid and p-cresol associated with COVID-19 outcomes, which provide new avenues for research. The CMTF framework consistently outperformed traditional methods in both dimension reduction and biomarker detection, offering a robust tool for uncovering biologically relevant insights. Conclusions: Despite its stringent data requirements, including the reliance on stratified microbial-based pathway abundances and taxa-level contributions, this approach provides a significant step forward in multi-omics integration and analysis, with potential applications across biomedical, environmental, and agricultural research.

Anthropogenic heat (AH) exerts a substantial influence on the local urban climate and intensifies the urban heat island (UHI) effect. However, the impact of AH exposure on respiratory allergy symptoms in preschool children has not been investigated. This study conducted a cross-sectional study of 39088 Chinese preschool children to investigate the associations between multisource AH exposure (building heat, industrial heat, metabolic heat, transportation heat, and total heat) and the risks of respiratory allergy symptoms (wheezing, night-cough, and rhinitis). Exposure to higher levels of AH was associated with increased risks of wheezing (building heat, transportation heat, and total heat), night-cough (building heat), and rhinitis (building heat, metabolic heat, transportation heat, and total heat) symptoms. Exposure-response relationships demonstrated positive relationships between AH with wheezing, night-cough, and rhinitis symptoms, with nearly linear and inverted "J" shapes. Building heat contributed most to the impact of multisource AH on wheezing, night-cough, and rhinitis symptoms, with weighted quantile sum weights ranging from 0.513 to 0.887. Our study provided new epidemiological insights into the impact of the UHI effect on childhood respiratory allergies and highlighted that mitigating AH exposure, specifically from building heat, could be an effective strategy for reducing the disease burden of respiratory allergies in children.

Exposure to higher surface air temperatures (SAT) and indoor dampness-mold can be associated with increased childhood asthma risk. However, the combined effect of heat and humidity on asthma risk, and the relationship between humid-heat and indoor dampness-mold remain unexplored. Based on a multi-city study of 37,206 Chinese preschool children, we investigated the relationships of exposure to humid-heat (SAT, heat index (HI), humidex (HMI), wet-bulb temperature (WBT)), indoor dampness-mold (dampness-mold in dwelling (DMD), and dampness-mold in clothing and bedding (DMCB)) during infancy with asthma risk. For each 1 degrees C increase in SAT, HI, HMI, and WBT, the odds ratio (OR) for asthma was 1.104 (95 %CI: 1.078, 1.131), 1.078 (95 %CI: 1.058, 1.099), 1.062 (95 %CI: 1.047, 1.078), and 1.085 (95 %CI: 1.063, 1.107), respectively. Exposure-response analysis showed nearly linear increasing relationships. Higher SAT, HI, HMI, and WBT were significantly associated with increased DMD and DMCB risk. Compared with those with neither DMD nor DMCB, the OR for asthma was 1.663 (95 %CI: 1.423, 1.935) among children with either DMD or DMCB, and 2.223 (95 %CI: 1.788, 2.735) among children with both DMD and DMCB. Our study highlights the importance of reducing humid-heat and indoor dampness-mold exposure during infancy to mitigate the high prevalence of childhood asthma.

The available information on endotoxin in Chinese households is limited and there is inconsistency regarding its impact on asthma and allergies in children. A case-control study was performed in 324 homes in Tianjin, China. Linear regression analysis was performed to identify the determinants of endotoxin concentrations in household dust. Logistic regression models were employed to investigate the associations of endotoxin concentrations with asthma and allergies in children. Endotoxin concentrations were determined from 284 valid dust samples, ranging from 94 to 11,625 EU/g, with a mean concentration of 3638 EU/g. We found a significant positive association between endotoxin concentrations and children’s current asthma. Old houses, ventilation systems without exhaust fans and windows opened infrequently were related to higher concentrations of endotoxins. In conclusion, endotoxin exposure in the home might be a risk factor for current asthma in children. Strategies for controlling endotoxin concentrations such as building maintenance and ventilation improvements are recommended.

Indoor bacteria, mold, allergens, and selected volatile organic compounds (VOC) were measured at home in three Nordic cities. Data on self-reported tear film break-up time (SBUT), weekly oculo-nasal symptoms during the past three months, and allergic rhinitis of 159 adults were obtained. Among them, 58 % were females, 24.5 % were atopics, and 41 % reported home dampness. The median SBUT was 22.3 s. Oculo-nasal symptoms (15.3 %) and allergic rhinitis (32.7 %) were common. A higher level of 2-hexanone was linked to lower SBUT (p = 0.036). Higher levels of total mold (p = 0.038), allergen Fel d 1 from cat (p = 0.045), and allergen Der p 1 (p = 0.012) and Der f 1 (p = 0.036) from house dust mite (HDM), were related to more oculo-nasal symptoms. Higher levels of 3-methylfuran (p = 0.003), 2-hexanone (p = 0.037), 2-heptanone (p = 0.018), and 1-octen-3-ol (p = 0.001) were linked to oculo-nasal symptoms. Higher levels of viable bacteria (p = 0.015), 3-octanone (p = 0.049) and formaldehyde (p = 0.039) were linked to allergic rhinitis. The association between 2-heptanone and oculo-nasal symptoms (interaction p = 0.012), and between isobutyl acetate and allergic rhinitis (interaction p = 0.084) were more pronounced in women. The negative association between 2-hexanone and SBUT was stronger among atopics (interaction p = 0.098), and the links between viable bacteria and allergic rhinitis (interaction p = 0.003) and between Der f 1 and oculo-nasal symptoms (interaction p = 0.1) were more pronounced among non-atopics. In conclusion, airborne mold and bacteria, and allergens in dust were associated with oculo-nasal symptoms or allergic rhinitis. 3-Methylfuran, 2-hexanone, 1-octen-3-ol, and 2-heptanone were associated with adult oculo-nasal symptoms. Increased 3-octanone and formaldehyde were related to allergic rhinitis.

House dust mite (HDM) allergen is a risk factor for children's health. There are few studies of associations of house dust mites with childhood asthma, wheeze, rhinitis and eczema in northern China. During 2013-2016, we performed a nested case-control study involving 410 children from 399 homes. The concentration of Dermato-phagoides farina class I allergen (Der f 1) was measured in dust samples from mattresses in children's bedroom by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The indoor environmental parameters such as pets keeping and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) were collected by a questionnaire. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) of Der f 1 to children's allergic symptoms was estimated by logistic regression. A non-linear trend was found on the associ-ation between asthma and HDM exposure, and the risk of wheezing rose at low levels of Der f 1 exposure and the risk attenuated thereafter. A dose-response trend with the prevalence of rhinitis and eczema among children was observed with the increase of concentration of house dust mite allergen Der f 1 in bed mattress. When con-centration of Der f 1 was above 4500 ng/g, the adjusted odds ratios of rhinitis current (AOR = 2.40), eczema ever (AOR = 12.23), eczema current (AOR = 2.52) and diagnosed eczema (AOR = 6.41) reached significance (p < 0.05).

BACKGROUND:Gas cooking is an important source of indoor air pollutants, and there is some limited evidence that it might adversely be associated with respiratory health. Using repeated cross-sectional data from the multi-centre international European Community Respiratory Health Survey, we assessed whether adults using gas cookers have increased risk of respiratory symptoms compared to those using electric cookers and tested whether there was effect modification by a priori selected factors. METHODS:Data on respiratory symptoms and gas cooking were collected from participants at 26-55 and 38-67 years (median time between examinations 11.4 years) from interviewer-led questionnaires. Repeated associations between gas cooking (versus electric) and respiratory symptoms were estimated using multivariable mixed-effects logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, study arm, smoking status, education level, and included random intercepts for participants within study centres. Analyses were repeated using a 3-level variable for type of cooker and gas source. Effect modification by ventilation habits, cooking duration, sex, age atopy, asthma, and study arm were examined. RESULTS:The sample included 4337 adults (43.7% males) from 19 centres in 9 countries. Gas cooking increased the risk of "shortness of breath whilst at rest" (OR = 1.38; 95%CI: 1.06-1.79) and "wheeze with breathlessness" (1.32; 1.00-1.74). For several other symptoms, effect estimates were larger in those who used both gas hobs and ovens, had a bottled gas source and cooked for over 60 min per day. Stratifying results by sex and age found stronger associations in females and younger adults. CONCLUSION:This multi-centre international study, using repeat data, suggested using gas cookers in the home was more strongly associated than electric cookers with certain respiratory symptoms in adults. As gas cooking is common, these results may play an important role in population respiratory health.

IntroductionRhinitis is one of the most prevalent chronic respiratory diseases worldwide. There is emerging evidence suggesting that the indoor microbiome may contribute the onset and exacerbation of rhinitis symptoms, but comprehensive studies on this topic remain scarce.MethodsIn this study, we assessed the microbiome assemblage of settled air dust collected in Petri dishes in 86 dormitory rooms of Shanxi University, China using 16s rRNA sequencing. A self-administered questionnaire, including questions about rhinitis symptoms and personal information, was completed by 357 students residing in these dormitories. Logistic and linear regression model was applied to examine the associations between environmental characteristics, indoor microbiome, and rhinitis.ResultsThe most abundant genera in the dormitories were Ralstonia (15.6%), Pelomonas (11.3%), Anoxybacillus (9.3%) and Ochrobactrum (6.2%). Taxa richness in the class of Actinobacteria and Fusobacteriia was negatively/protectively associated with rhinitis (p<0.05). Six bacterial genera, including those from Actinobacteria (Actinomyces), Fusobacteriia (Fusobacterium), and Bacteroidetes (Prevotella and Capnocytophaga), were negatively/protectively associated with rhinitis. Conversely, seven genera, predominantly from Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria (Sphingomonas, Caulobacter, uncharacterized Caulobacteraceae and Comamonadaceae), were positively associated with rhinitis. Living in higher floor level and higher indoor PM2.5 concentrations were associated with a higher abundance of taxa potentially protective against rhinitis and a lower abundance of taxa potentially increasing the risk of rhinitis (P<0.01). However, having curtain indoor and higher indoor CO2 concentrations were associated with a lower abundance of taxa potentially protective against rhinitis and a higher abundance of taxa potentially increasing the risk of rhinitis (P<0.01).DiscussionThis study enhances our understanding of the complex interactions between environmental characteristics, indoor microbiomes, and rhinitis, shedding light on potential strategies to manipulate indoor microbiome for disease prevention and control.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) subjects might have their microenvironment changed due to pathogenesis and living environment. Whether the nasal microbe in AR children differs from healthy subjects and how it interplays with dermal, oral and indoor dust microbe needs to be elucidated. In this case–control study, we analyzed and compared the bacterial characterization and associations in nasal, dermal, oral swab samples and dust samples in 62 children with physician-diagnosed AR(cases) and 51 age- and gender-matched healthy ones with no history of allergic diseases(controls). Full-length 16S rRNA sequencing(swabs) and shotgun metagenomics(dust) were applied. Bacterial diversity, composition, abundance difference characteristics and fast expectation–maximization for microbial source tracking(FEAST) analysis were performed and compared between cases and controls. The α-diversity of dust microorganisms in AR was lower than that in control group (P = 0.034), and the β-diversity indices of microorganisms in nasal cavity (P = 0.020), skin (P = 0.001) and dust (P = 0.004) were significantly different from those in control group. At species levels, a total of 10, 15, 12, and 15 bacterial species were differentially enriched in either cases or controls in nasal, dermal, oral, and dust samples, respectively(Linear Discriminant Analysis(LDA) score > 2, P < 0.05). Staphylococcus epidermidis was the single species simultaneously more abundant in nasal, dermal and dust samples in AR children. By FEAST analysis, 8.85

We studied time trends in home environment and sick building syndrome (SBS) symptoms in a repeat study in five cities in southern China. Moreover, we studied associations between home environment exposure and SBS symptoms. Parents from randomly selected day care centers were invited. One parent per family answered a questionnaire on the home environment and their own SBS symptoms. Data collection was performed in two surveys in 2010 and 2019 (27,292 participants in 2010 and 32,073 in 2019). We used two-level logistic regression to analyze health associations. Asthma decreased from 1.7% to 1.5% (P < 0.05) but allergic rhinitis increased from 6.5% to 16.4% (P < 0.001). All SBS symptoms decreased from 2010 to 2019 (all P < 0.001). Most aspects of the home environment improved from 2010 to 2019 but there were less cleaning, more cats, dogs, and urbanization in 2019. Redecoration, new furniture, and pests were associated with most types of SBS symptoms, similarly in 2010 and 2019. Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) was associated with SBS symptoms in 2019 only. In conclusion, prevalence of SBS symptoms among young parents in southern China decreased from 2010 to 2019 but allergic rhinitis increased. Cockroaches, rats, mice, mosquitoes or flies can be consistent biological risk factors for SBS symptoms. Redecoration, buying new furniture and traffic air pollution are other risk factors for SBS symptoms. Daily cleaning, frequently putting bedding to sunshine, and having a fan in the bathroom can be protective factors. ETS is an emerging risk factor for SBS symptoms.

We studied associations between fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), health and household exposure among school children (N = 348) in Penang, Malaysia. Multiple logistic regression and linear mixed models were applied. Overall, 46.0% had elevated FeNO (>20 ppb) and 10.6% diagnosed asthma. Male gender (p = 0.002), parental asthma or allergy (p = 0.047), cat allergy (p = 0.009) and seafood allergy (p < 0.001), diagnosed asthma (p = 0.001), wheeze (p = 0.001), ocular symptoms (p = 0.001), rhinitis (p = 0.002) and respiratory infections (p = 0.004) were all associated with FeNO. Students exposed to ETS had lower FeNO (p = 0.05). Dampness and mould was associated with wheeze (p = 0.038), especially in wooden homes (interaction p = 0.042) and among students with elevated FeNO (interaction p = 0.024). Cat keeping increased rhinitis (p = 0.041) and respiratory infections (p = 0.008) and modified the dampness associations. In conclusion, FeNO can be associated with ocular and respiratory symptoms. Elevated FeNO, cat keeping and a wooden house can enhance the risk of wheeze when exposed to dampness and mould.

The impact of early life exposure to residential greenness on childhood rhinitis and its interaction with particulate matter (PM) of different size fractions remain inconsistent. Herein, we recruited 40,486 preschool children from randomly selected daycare centers in 7 cities in China from 2019 to 2020, and estimated exposure to residential greenness by the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) with a 500 m buffer. Exposure to ambient PM (PM1, PM2.5, and PM10) was evaluated using a satellite -based prediction model (daily, at a resolution of 1 km x 1 km). By mixed -effect logistic regression, NDVI values during pregnancy, in the first (0-1 year old) and the second (1-2 years old) year of life were negatively associated with lifetime rhinitis (LR) and current rhinitis (CR) (P < 0.001). PM in the same time windows was associated with increased risks of LR and CR in children, with smaller size fraction of PM showing greater associations. The negative associations between prenatal and postnatal NDVI and LR and CR in preschool children remained robust after adjusting for concomitant exposure to PM, whereas the associations of postnatal NDVI and rhinitis showed significant interactions with PM. At lower levels of PM, postnatal NDVI remained negatively associated with rhinitis and was partly mediated by PM (10.0-40.9 %), while at higher levels of PM, the negative associations disappeared or even turned positive. The cut-off levels of PM were identified for each size fraction of PM. In conclusion, prenatal exposure to greenness had robust impacts in lowering the risk of childhood rhinitis, while postnatal exposure to greenness depended on the co -exposure levels to PM. This study revealed the complex interplay of greenness and PM on rhinitis in children. The exposure time window in prenatal or postnatal period and postnatal concomitant PM levels played important roles in influencing the associations between greenness, PM and rhinitis.

EDITORIAL article Front. Microbiomes, 13 March 2024Sec. Host and Microbe Associations Volume 3 - 2024 | https://doi.org/10.3389/frmbi.2024.1388525

This study investigated the prevalence of medical symptoms, including headache, fatigue, ocular, nasal, throat, and dermal symptoms, among university students and their associations with the indoor environment of Sri Lankan dormitories. The study included 2234 students from seven different dormitory buildings. The association between dormitory environmental factors and students' medical symptoms was determined using multi-level logistic regression. General symptoms (22.8%) were reported more frequently than other symptoms. Headaches (11.6%) and fatigue (11.3%) were the most common specific individual symptoms. The most frequent dampness-related problems were visible mold (29.6%) and visible damp stains (28.8%). Significant gender differences were observed. Suspected moisture problems were a major risk factor for ocular (AOR: 2.65), fatigue (AOR: 1.83), and throat symptoms (AOR: 2.49). Damp stains were also associated with an increased risk of fatigue (AOR: 1.52), ocular (AOR: 1.72), throat (AOR: 2.26), and dermal symptoms (AOR: 1.61). The mutual adjustment model revealed that any type of dampness, as well as being on a lower floor level of the building, was a significant risk factor for the occurrence of throat, dermal, general, and mucosal symptoms. Residing in older buildings was a protective factor for ocular and nasal symptoms. Infrequent window opening was associated with increased medical symptoms. The findings suggested that the dormitory environment has an effect on students’ health. Opening windows on a regular basis may improve airflow in dormitories. Future dormitory designs should consider large windows in areas with lower levels of outdoor air pollution, and mechanical ventilation systems should be considered.