Indoor environment and building characteristics in homes of children with and without asthma and allergy in Sisimiut, Greenland

An epidemiological cross-sectional questionnaire study on housing and health, involving 229 children in Sisimiut, was initiated in May 2006. Based on this study, a nested case-control study was carried out in August 2006, covering inspections and physical measurements in the homes of 51 children. A tendency towards a lower average CO2-concentration in the bedroom, at night, in the group of sick children (cases) compared to the group of healthy children (controls) was found. No significant associations or tendencies were seen between the two groups with regard to relative humidity and temperature at night. Condensation on windows in the kitchen was more common in homes built before 1971 than in newer houses. No significant association was found between condensation on the windows and asthmatic and allergic symptoms.