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Water hardness has been associated with atopic eczema (AE) prevalence in two epidemiologic studies carried out on schoolchildren in England and Japan. Objective. To estimate the association between the prevalence of AE and domestic water hardness. Methods. The prevalence of AE was obtained from The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood, carried out in six towns in the province of Castellón on schoolchildren 6-7 and 13-14 years of age, using a standard questionnaire in 2002. Three zones were defined according to domestic water hardness of the six study localities: <200 mg/l, 200-250 mg/l, and >300 mg/l. A logistic regression analysis was performed. Results. The lifetime prevalence of AE in schoolchildren 6-7 years of age was higher with the increment of water hardness, 28.6, 30.5 and 36.5% respectively for each zone; between zone 1 and zone 3, the adjusted odds ratios (ORa) were 1.58 (95% Confidence Intervals [CI] 1.04-2.39) (adjusted tendency test p=0.034). Prevalence of symptoms of AE within the past year were 4.7, 4.5, and 10.4%, respectively by zone; between zone 1 and zone 3, the ORa was 2.29 (95% CI 1.19-4.42) (adjusted tendency test p=0,163). For 13-14 year-old schoolchildren, tendencies to lifetime prevalence of AE at any time or in the past year were not significant. Conclusions. This study suggests that in 6-7 year-old schoolchildren, water hardness in the area where they live has some relevance to the development of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To estimate the risk factor for symptoms of allergic rhinitis in adolescents in Castellón, Spain. Methods. A cross-sectional population based study of Phase III of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) conducted in 2002 among adolescents from 13-14 years of age. The ISAAC questionnaire was used to define cases of allergic rhinitis. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratio (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Results. Participation was 66.8% (3 995 adolescents of the 5 981 total). The prevalence of rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms in the last 12 months was 16.5% and the prevalence of nasal allergy at some point was 7.4%. Logistic regression showed that rhinoconjunctivitis was associated with being female (OR = 1.63; 95%CI: 1.33-2.00); a mother who smokes in the home (OR = 1.32; 95%CI: 1.08-1.63); a history of sinusitis (OR = 2.02; 95%CI: 1.51-2.70); and living on a street with heavy truck traffic (OR = 1.58; 95%CI: 1.02-2.44). Likewise, nasal allergy was associated with a family history of allergic rhinitis (OR = 2.62; 95%CI: 1.90-3.63); a history of sinusitis (OR = 2.65; 95% CI: 1.77-3.96); a history of bronchitis (OR = 1.68; 95%CI: 1.19-2.36); and social class, with a steady decline when comparing higher classes to lower classes. Conclusions. Various environmental risk factors were associated with the symptoms of nasal allergies, which points to the importance of implementing specific preventive measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]