Cleaning sprays, household help and asthma among elderly women

Abstract

Weekly household use of cleaning sprays may have a deleterious effect on asthma. It is important to take into account household help to limit misclassification bias.

Use of household cleaning products, exhaled nitric oxide and lung function in females

“…Our results suggested an inflammatory role of cleaning agents in spray form and are consistent with previous results reported among elderly females from the E3N survey [5] and among Spanish professional cleaners [9]. In E3N, a significant association between the weekly use of sprays at home and current asthma was reported only among females without anti-inflammatory therapy (inhaled corticosteroids) [5].…”

“…Our findings add to the evidence that household exposures to cleaning products, especially in spray form, may represent an important emerging life course public health issue [2,5]. Our results support the recent recommendations to investigate preventive measures for consumers [10], and to limit both the production and use of household cleaning products in spray form.…”

“…Among adults, the deleterious effect of occupational cleaning products in asthma is established, whereas the effect of domestic cleaning exposure in spray form was suggested recently especially among females [3,5,7]. Our findings add to the evidence that household exposures to cleaning products, especially in spray form, may represent an important emerging life course public health issue [2,5].…”

“…In E3N, a significant association between the weekly use of sprays at home and current asthma was reported only among females without anti-inflammatory therapy (inhaled corticosteroids) [5]. In the Spanish survey, significant positive associations were observed between some specific occupational cleaning products, including glass cleaners (often used in spray form), and FeNO level but associations between household products in spray form and FeNO level have never been studied specifically in adults [9].…”

EPHECT III: Health risk assessment of exposure to household consumer products

“…However, the exact category of cleaning products and their chemicals causing adverse health effects as well as the route of exposure still need to be clarified. Some studies point to products in spray-form to be associated with risk of inhalation and reported health effects (Bédard et al, 2014;Le Moual et al, 2014;Vernez et al, 2006).…”