Associations between Household Renovation and Rhinitis among Preschool Children in China: A Cross-sectional Study.

During 2010-2012, we surveyed 40,010 3-6-year-old children in seven Chinese cities (Beijing, Taiyuan, Urumqi, Shanghai, Nanjing, Changsha and Chongqing). Their parents reported information on household renovation, including the timing of renovation and the choice of materials for walls and floors in the child's room, and the incidence of their child's rhinitis. Multivariate and two-level (city-child) logistic regression analyses yielding adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals were performed. Sensitivity analyses stratifying data for location and economic level were also performed. 48.0% of the children had ever had allergic rhinitis, 41.2% had current allergic rhinitis and 9.0% had had doctor-diagnosed rhinitis. Exposure to household renovation during early lifetime (birth to 1 year old) had an AOR of 1.43 (1.04-1.9) for allergic rhinitis. The incidence of allergic rhinitis was significantly different in children exposed to different floor and wall covering materials. Floor or wall covering material composed of organic materials significantly increased the risk of childhood allergic rhinitis compared to tile flooring or lime wall covering. Oil paint had an AOR of 1.66 (1.28-2.14) for diagnosed rhinitis compared to lime wall covering. Adding new furniture the year before pregnancy was associated with an AOR of 1.18 (1.10-1.27) and 1.18 (1.11-1.25) for lifetime and current rhinitis. Solid wood or tiles/ceramic as floor materials, and using wallpaper, oil paint, or emulsion panels as wall materials were risk factors for doctor-diagnosed rhinitis. Sensitivity analyses showed that children living in southern or higher economic level China cities were more likely to have allergic rhinitis with household renovation.