Startseite Home environmental interventions for prevention of respiratory tract infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Artikel
Lizenziert
Nicht lizenziert Erfordert eine Authentifizierung

Home environmental interventions for prevention of respiratory tract infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis

  • Kok Pim Kua ORCID logo EMAIL logo und Dr. Shaun Wen Huey Lee ORCID logo
Veröffentlicht/Copyright: 3. Februar 2021

Abstract

Objectives

Poor housing conditions have been associated with increased risks of respiratory infections. This review aims to determine whether modifying the physical environment of the home has benefits in reducing respiratory infections.

Content

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of home environmental interventions for preventing respiratory tract infections. Ten electronic databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials published from inception to July 31, 2020. Random-effects meta-analyses were used to assess the study outcomes. Our search identified 14 eligible studies across 12 countries, which comprised 87,428 households in total. The type of interventions on home environment included kitchen appliance and design, water supply and sanitation, house insulation, and home heating. Meta-analysis indicated a potential benefit of home environmental interventions in preventing overall respiratory tract infections (Absolute RR=0.89, 95% CI=0.78–1.01, p=0.07; Pooled adjusted RR=0.72, 95% CI=0.63–0.84, p<0.0001). Subgroup analyses depicted that home environmental interventions had no significant impact on lower respiratory tract infections, pneumonia, and severe pneumonia. A protective effect against respiratory infections was observed in high income country setting (RR=0.82, 95% CI=0.78–0.87, p<0.00001).

Summary and outlook

Home environmental interventions have the potential to reduce morbidity of respiratory tract infections. The lack of significant impact from stand-alone housing interventions suggests that multicomponent interventions should be implemented in tandem with high-quality health systems.


Corresponding author: Kok Pim Kua, MPharm, MBiomedSc, Puchong Health Clinic, Petaling District Health Office, Ministry of Health Malaysia, 47100 Puchong, Petaling, Selangor, Malaysia, E-mail:
Kok Pim Kua and Shaun Wen Huey Lee contributed equally to this work.

Acknowledgments

This paper was written during the first author’s stay at the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, University of Oxford as a Leslie Kirkley Visitor.

  1. Research funding: None declared.

  2. Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.

  3. Competing interests: The authors state no conflict of interest.

  4. Informed consent: The conducted research is a systematic review and meta-analysis. Informed consent is not required.

  5. Ethical approval: The conducted research is not related to either human or animals use.

Appendix

Search strategy

NIH PubMed, Wiley Online Library, and Emerald Insight

respiratory tract infection* or respiratory infection* or otitis media or pharyngitis or tonsillitis or rhinosinusitis or laryngitis or rhinitis or sinusitis or sinus infection* or coryza or otalgia or bronchitis or bronchiolitis or pneumonia or empyema or pyothorax or influenza or tonsillopharyngitis or croup or sore throat or throat infection* or cough or earache or ear infection* or cold or common cold or lung infection* or wheez*

AND

home* or house* or housing or residence or apartment or dwelling or residential or improved ventilation or stove* or cookstove* or improved stove* or household air pollution or indoor air pollution or kitchen or chimney or cooking facilit* or permeable wall cladding or air quality or airflow or outdoor cooking area or outdoor chimney or hygienic kitchen or safe water supply or kitchen design or sink or water tap or build* or construct* or renovat* or refurbis*

AND

‘randomised trial’ or ‘randomized trial’ or randomly or random* or ‘randomized controlled trial’ or ‘randomised controlled trial’

ACP Journal Club, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR), Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE), Health Technology Assessment Database (HTA), NHS Economic Evaluation Database (NHS EED), and Ovid MEDLINE®

respiratory tract infection* or respiratory infection* or otitis media or pharyngitis or tonsillitis or rhinosinusitis or laryngitis or rhinitis or sinusitis or sinus infection* or coryza or otalgia or bronchitis or bronchiolitis or pneumonia or empyema or pyothorax or influenza or tonsillopharyngitis or croup or sore throat or throat infection* or cough or earache or ear infection* or cold or common cold or lung infection* or wheez*

AND

home* or house* or housing or residence or apartment or dwelling or residential or improved ventilation or stove* or cookstove* or improved stove* or household air pollution or indoor air pollution or kitchen or chimney or cooking facilit* or permeable wall cladding or air quality or airflow or outdoor cooking area or outdoor chimney or hygienic kitchen or safe water supply or kitchen design or sink or water tap or build* or construct* or renovat* or refurbis*

AND

randomised trial or randomized trial or randomly or random* or randomized controlled trial or randomised controlled trial

References

1. Roth, GA, Abate, D, Abate, KH, Abay, SM, Abbafati, C, Abbasi, N, et al.. Global, regional, and national age-sex-specific mortality for 282 causes of death in 195 countries and territories, 1980‒2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet 2018;392:1736–88.10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32203-7Suche in Google Scholar

2. Mizgerd, JP. Acute lower respiratory tract infection. N Engl J Med 2008;358:716–27. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmra074111.Suche in Google Scholar

3. Murray, CJ, Lopez, AD. Measuring the global burden of disease. N Engl J Med 2013;369:448–57. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmra1201534.Suche in Google Scholar

4. Troeger, C, Blacker, B, Khalil, IA, Rao, PC, Cao, J, Zimsen, SRM, et al.. Estimates of the global, regional, and national morbidity, mortality, and aetiologies of lower respiratory infections in 195 countries, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. Lancet Infect Dis 2018;18:1191–210.10.1016/S1473-3099(18)30310-4Suche in Google Scholar

5. Burki, TK. The economic cost of respiratory disease in the UK. Lancet Respir Med 2017;5:381. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2213-2600(17)30108-x.Suche in Google Scholar

6. Esposito, S, Gasparini, R, Bosis, S, Marchisio, P, Tagliabue, C, Tosi, S, et al.. Clinical and socio-economic impact of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus infection on healthy children and their households. Clin Microbiol Infect 2005;11:933–6. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-0691.2005.01270.x.Suche in Google Scholar

7. Fendrick, AM, Monto, AS, Nightengale, B, Sarnes, M. The economic burden of non-influenza-related viral respiratory tract infection in the United States. Arch Intern Med 2003;163:487–94. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.163.4.487.Suche in Google Scholar

8. Gordon, SB, Bruce, NG, Grigg, J, Hibberd, PL, Kurmi, OP, Lam, K-bH, et al.. Respiratory risks from household air pollution in low and middle income countries. Lancet Respir Med 2014;2:823–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2213-2600(14)70168-7.Suche in Google Scholar

9. Kurmi, OP, Lam, KBH, Ayres, JG. Indoor air pollution and the lung in low- and medium-income countries. Eur Respir J 2012;40:239–54. https://doi.org/10.1183/09031936.00190211.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed

10. Hulin, M, Simoni, M, Viegi, G, Annesi-Maesano, I. Respiratory health and indoor air pollutants based on quantitative exposure assessments. Eur Respir J 2012;40:1033–45. https://doi.org/10.1183/09031936.00159011.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed

11. Krieger, J, Higgins, DL. Housing and health: time again for public health action. Am J Public Health 2002;92:758–68. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.92.5.758.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

12. Marsh, BT. Housing and health. The role of the environmental health practitioner. J Environ Health 1982;45:123–8.Suche in Google Scholar

13. Fonseca, W, Kirkwood, BR, Victora, CG, Fuchs, SR, Flores, JA, Misago, C. Risk factors for childhood pneumonia among the urban poor in Fortaleza, Brazil: a case-control study. Bull World Health Organ 1996;74:199–208.Suche in Google Scholar

14. Pelissari, DM, Diaz-Quijano, FA. Household crowding as a potential mediator of socioeconomic determinants of tuberculosis incidence in Brazil. PLoS One 2017;12:e0176116. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0176116.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

15. Sauni, R, Verbeek, JH, Uitti, J, Jauhiainen, M, Kreiss, K, Sigsgaard, T. Remediating buildings damaged by dampness and mould for preventing or reducing respiratory tract symptoms, infections and asthma. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015;2:CD007897. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD007897.pub3.Suche in Google Scholar

16. Furlow, B. Increasing scrutiny for the health hazards of indoor air. Lancet Respir Med 2016;4:690. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2213-2600(16)30237-5.Suche in Google Scholar

17. von Seidlein, L, Wood, H, Brittain, OS, Tusting, L, Bednarz, A, Mshamu, S, et al.. Knowledge gaps in the construction of rural healthy homes: a research agenda for improved low-cost housing in hot-humid Africa. PLoS Med 2019;16:e1002909. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002909.Suche in Google Scholar

18. von Seidlein, L, Ikonomidis, K, Mshamu, S, Nkya, TE, Mukaka, M, Pell, C, et al.. Affordable house designs to improve health in rural Africa: a field study from northeastern Tanzania. Lancet Planet Health 2017;1:e188–e99. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2542-5196(17)30078-5.Suche in Google Scholar

19. Bailie, R, Stevens, M, McDonald, E, Brewster, D, Guthridge, S. Exploring cross-sectional associations between common childhood illness, housing and social conditions in remote Australian Aboriginal communities. BMC Public Health 2010;10:147. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-10-147.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

20. Gan, WQ, Sanderson, WT, Browning, SR, Mannino, DM. Different types of housing and respiratory health outcomes. Prev Med Rep 2017;7:124–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2017.05.018.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

21. Tusting, LS, Gething, PW, Gibson, HS, Greenwood, B, Knudsen, J, Lindsay, SW, et al.. Housing and child health in sub-Saharan Africa: a cross-sectional analysis. PLoS Med 2020;17:e1003055. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003055.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

22. Koh, HK, Restuccia, R. Housing as health. J Am Med Assoc 2018;319:12–3. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2017.20081.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed

23. Thomson, H, Petticrew, M, Morrison, D. Health effects of housing improvement: systematic review of intervention studies. BMJ 2001;323:187–90. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.323.7306.187.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

24. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. NICE clinical guideline 69 – antibiotic prescribing‒respiratory tract infections; 2008. Available from: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg69/evidence/appendices-pdf-196853294 [Accessed 1 Aug 2020].Suche in Google Scholar

25. Sterne, JAC, Savović, J, Page, MJ, Elbers, RG, Blencowe, NS, Boutron, I, et al.. RoB 2: a revised tool for assessing risk of bias in randomised trials. BMJ 2019;366:l4898. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l4898.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed

26. Guyatt, GH, Oxman, AD, Kunz, R, Woodcock, J, Brozek, J, Helfand, M, et al.. GRADE guidelines: 7. Rating the quality of evidence – inconsistency. J Clin Epidemiol 2011;64:1294–302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2011.03.017.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed

27. Guyatt, GH, Oxman, AD, Vist, GE, Kunz, R, Falck-Ytter, Y, Alonso-Coello, P, et al.. GRADE: an emerging consensus on rating quality of evidence and strength of recommendations. BMJ 2008;336:924–6. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39489.470347.ad.Suche in Google Scholar

28. Adane, MM, Alene, GD, Mereta, ST, Wanyonyi, KL. Effect of improved cookstove intervention on childhood acute lower respiratory infection in Northwest Ethiopia: a cluster-randomized controlled trial. BMC Pediatr 2021;21:4. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-020-02459-1.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

29. Carrión, D, Kaali, S, Kinney, PL, Owusu-Agyei, S, Chillrud, S, Yawson, AK, et al.. Examining the relationship between household air pollution and infant microbial nasal carriage in a Ghanaian cohort. Environ Int 2019;133:105150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2019.105150.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

30. Hanna, R, Duflo, E, Greenstone, M. Up in smoke: the influence of household behavior on the long-run impact of improved cooking stoves. Am Econ J Econ Policy 2016;8:80–114. https://doi.org/10.1257/pol.20140008.Suche in Google Scholar

31. Hartinger, S, Lanata, C, Hattendorf, J, Verastegui, H, Gil, A, Wolf, J, et al.. Improving household air, drinking water and hygiene in rural Peru: a community-randomized-controlled trial of an integrated environmental home-based intervention package to improve child health. Int J Epidemiol 2016;45:2089–99. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyw242.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

32. Howden-Chapman, P, Matheson, A, Crane, J, Viggers, H, Cunningham, M, Blakely, T, et al.. Effect of insulating existing houses on health inequality: cluster randomised study in the community. BMJ 2007;334:460. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39070.573032.80.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

33. Howden-Chapman, P, Pierse, N, Nicholls, S, Gillespie-Bennett, J, Viggers, H, Cunningham, M, et al.. Effects of improved home heating on asthma in community dwelling children: randomised controlled trial. BMJ 2008;337:a1411. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.a1411.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

34. Kirby, MA, Nagel, CL, Rosa, G, Zambrano, LD, Musafiri, S, Ngirabega, JD, et al.. Effects of a large-scale distribution of water filters and natural draft rocket-style cookstoves on diarrhea and acute respiratory infection: a cluster-randomized controlled trial in Western Province, Rwanda. PLoS Med 2019;16:e1002812. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002812.Suche in Google Scholar

35. Mortimer, K, Ndamala, C, Naunje, A, Malava, J, Katundu, C, Weston, W, et al.. A cleaner burning biomass-fuelled cookstove intervention to prevent pneumonia in children under 5 years old in rural Malawi (The Cooking and Pneumonia Study): a cluster randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2017;389:167–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(16)32507-7.Suche in Google Scholar

36. Mortimer, K, Lesosky, M, Semple, S, Malava, J, Katundu, C, Crampin, A, et al.. Pneumonia and exposure to household air pollution in children under the age of 5 years in rural Malawi: findings from the Cooking and Pneumonia Study. Chest 2020;158:501–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2020.03.064.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

37. Najnin, N, Leder, K, Forbes, A, Unicomb, L, Winch, PJ, Ram, PK, et al.. Impact of a large-scale handwashing intervention on reported respiratory illness: findings from a cluster-randomized controlled trial. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2019;100:742–9. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.18-0644.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

38. Ram, PK, DiVita, MA, Khatun-e-Jannat, K, Islam, M, Krytus, K, Cercone, E, et al.. Impact of intensive handwashing promotion on secondary household influenza-like illness in rural Bangladesh: findings from a randomized controlled trial. PLoS One 2015;10:e0125200. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0125200.Suche in Google Scholar

39. Schilmann, A, Riojas-Rodriguez, H, Ramírez-Sedeño, K, Berrueta, V, Pérez-Padilla, R, Romieu, I. Children’s respiratory health after an efficient biomass stove (Patsari) intervention. EcoHealth 2015;12:68–76. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-014-0965-4.Suche in Google Scholar

40. Smith, KR, McCracken, JP, Weber, MW, Hubbard, A, Jenny, A, Thompson, LM, et al.. Effect of reduction in household air pollution on childhood pneumonia in Guatemala (RESPIRE): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2011;378:1717–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(11)60921-5.Suche in Google Scholar

41. Tielsch, JM, Katz, J, Zeger, SL, Khatry, SK, Shrestha, L, Breysse, P, et al.. Designs of two randomized, community-based trials to assess the impact of alternative cookstove installation on respiratory illness among young children and reproductive outcomes in rural Nepal. BMC Public Health 2014;14:1271. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-14-1271.Suche in Google Scholar

42. Tielsch, JM, Katz, J, Khatry, SK, Shrestha, L, Breysse, P, Zeger, S, et al.. Effect of an improved biomass stove on acute lower respiratory infections in young children in rural Nepal: a cluster-randomised, step-wedge trial. Lancet Glob Health 2016;4:S19. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2214-109x(16)30024-9.Suche in Google Scholar

43. Wafula, EM, Kinyanjui, MM, Nyabola, L, Tenambergen, ED. Effect of improved stoves on prevalence of acute respiration infection and conjunctivitis among children and women in a rural community in Kenya. East Afr Med J 2000;77:37–41. https://doi.org/10.4314/eamj.v77i1.46379.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed

44. Thakur, M, Nuyts, PAW, Boudewijns, EA, Flores Kim, J, Faber, T, Babu, GR, et al.. Impact of improved cookstoves on women’s and child health in low and middle income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Thorax 2018;73:1026–40. https://doi.org/10.1136/thoraxjnl-2017-210952.Suche in Google Scholar

45. Vanker, A, Barnett, W, Workman, L, Nduru, PM, Sly, PD, Gie, RP, et al.. Early-life exposure to indoor air pollution or tobacco smoke and lower respiratory tract illness and wheezing in African infants: a longitudinal birth cohort study. Lancet Planet Health 2017;1:e328–e36. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2542-5196(17)30134-1.Suche in Google Scholar

46. Cauchemez, S, Donnelly, CA, Reed, C, Ghani, AC, Fraser, C, Kent, CK, et al.. Household transmission of 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus in the United States. N Engl J Med 2009;361:2619–27. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa0905498.Suche in Google Scholar

47. Kua, KP, Qureshi, N, Wong, K-K, Bin, D, Wu, DBC, Lee, S, et al.. Impact of palivizumab immunization in controlling respiratory syncytial virus infections among preterm neonates after hospital discharge in the tropics. Perinatology 2019;20:1–9.Suche in Google Scholar

48. Allegranzi, B, Kilpatrick, C, Storr, J, Kelley, E, Park, BJ, Donaldson, L. Global infection prevention and control priorities 2018-22: a call for action. Lancet Glob Health 2017;5:e1178–e80. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2214-109x(17)30427-8.Suche in Google Scholar

49. de Oliveira, TB, Klering, EA, da Veiga, ABG. Is recurrent respiratory infection associated with allergic respiratory disease? J Asthma 2019;56:160–6. https://doi.org/10.1080/02770903.2018.1445266.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed

50. Rantala, A, Jaakkola, JJK, Jaakkola, MS. Respiratory infections in adults with atopic disease and IgE antibodies to common aeroallergens. PLoS One 2013;8:e68582. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068582.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

51. Ciprandi, G, Tosca, MA, Fasce, L. Allergic children have more numerous and severe respiratory infections than non-allergic children. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2006;17:389–91. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1399-3038.2006.00413.x.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed

52. Varricchio, A, La Mantia, I, Brunese, FP, Ciprandi, G. Inflammation, infection, and allergy of upper airways: new insights from national and real-world studies. Ital J Pediatr 2020;46:18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13052-020-0782-z.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

53. Platts-Mills, TAE. Allergen avoidance in the treatment of asthma and rhinitis. N Engl J Med 2003;349:207–8. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmp030082.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed

54. Green, RM, Custovic, A, Sanderson, G, Hunter, J, Johnston, SL, Woodcock, A. Synergism between allergens and viruses and risk of hospital admission with asthma: case-control study. BMJ 2002;324:763. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.324.7340.763.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

55. Morgan, WJ, Crain, EF, Gruchalla, RS, O’Connor, GT, Kattan, M, Evans, R, et al.. Results of a home-based environmental intervention among urban children with asthma. N Engl J Med 2004;351:1068–80. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa032097.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed

56. Chen, R, Yin, P, Wang, L, Liu, C, Niu, Y, Wang, W, et al.. Association between ambient temperature and mortality risk and burden: time series study in 272 main Chinese cities. BMJ 2018;363:k4306. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k4306.Suche in Google Scholar

57. Ge, WZ, Xu, F, Zhao, ZH, Zhao, JZ, Kan, HD. Association between diurnal temperature range and respiratory tract infections. Biomed Environ Sci 2013;26:222–5. https://doi.org/10.3967/0895-3988.2013.03.009.Suche in Google Scholar

58. Liu, Y, Guo, Y, Wang, C, Li, W, Lu, J, Shen, S, et al.. Association between temperature change and outpatient visits for respiratory tract infections among children in Guangzhou, China. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2015;12:439–54. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph120100439.Suche in Google Scholar

59. WHO Housing and Health Guidelines. Geneva: World Health Organization. 4, Low indoor temperatures and insulation; 2018. Available from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535294/.Suche in Google Scholar

60. Williams, S, Sheikh, A, Campbell, H, Fitch, N, Griffiths, C, Heyderman, RS, et al.. Respiratory research funding is inadequate, inequitable, and a missed opportunity. Lancet Respir Med 2020;8:e67–e8. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2213-2600(20)30329-5.Suche in Google Scholar

61. Favier, C, Schmit, D, Müller-Graf, CDM, Cazelles, B, Degallier, N, Mondet, B, et al.. Influence of spatial heterogeneity on an emerging infectious disease: the case of dengue epidemics. Proc Biol Sci 2005;272:1171–7. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2004.3020.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

62. Marquis-Gravel, G, Roe, MT, Turakhia, MP, Boden, W, Temple, R, Sharma, A, et al.. Technology-enabled clinical trials: transforming medical evidence generation. Circulation 2019;140:1426–36. https://doi.org/10.1161/circulationaha.119.040798.Suche in Google Scholar


Supplementary Material

The online version of this article offers supplementary material (https://doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2020-0169).


Received: 2020-12-17
Accepted: 2021-01-10
Published Online: 2021-02-03
Published in Print: 2021-09-27

© 2021 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Heruntergeladen am 23.10.2025 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/reveh-2020-0169/pdf
Button zum nach oben scrollen