Formaldehyde Exposure and Asthma in Children: A Systematic Review
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2009/0901143/abstract.html
Gerald McGwin, Jr., Jeffrey Lienert, and John I. Kennedy, Jr.
Abstract
Objective: Despite multiple published studies regarding the association between formaldehyde
exposure and childhood asthma, a consistent association has not been identified. This study
reports the results of a systematic review of published literature in order to provide a more
comprehensive picture of this relationship.
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2009/0901143/abstract.html
Gerald McGwin, Jr., Jeffrey Lienert, and John I. Kennedy, Jr.
Abstract
Objective: Despite multiple published studies regarding the association between formaldehyde
exposure and childhood asthma, a consistent association has not been identified. This study
reports the results of a systematic review of published literature in order to provide a more
comprehensive picture of this relationship.
Data Sources: Seven peer-reviewed studies providing quantitative results regarding the
association between formaldehyde exposure and asthma in children were identified following a
comprehensive literature search. There was heterogeneity across studies with respect to the
definition of asthma (e.g., self-report, physician diagnosis). The majority of studies were crosssectional
in nature.
Data Extraction: For each study, an odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for
asthma was either abstracted from published results or calculated based on the data provided.
Characteristics regarding the study design and population were also abstracted.
Data Synthesis: Fixed and random effects models were used to calculate pooled ORs and 95%
CIs; measures of heterogeneity were also calculated. The results of a fixed effects model
produced an OR of 1.03 (95% CI 1.02-1.04), and random effects model an OR of 1.17 (95% CI
1.01-1.36) both reflecting an increase of 10 μg/m3 of formaldehyde. Both the Q and I2 statistics
indicated a moderate amount of heterogeneity.
Conclusions: The results indicate that there is a significant positive association between
formaldehyde exposure and childhood asthma. Given the largely cross-sectional nature of the
studies underlying this meta-analysis, there remains a need for well-designed prospective
epidemiologic studies.
The full version of this article is available for free in PDF format.
http://www.ehponline.org/members/2009/0901143/0901143.pdf
