Effect of indoor air quality in the postnatal period on lung function in pre-adolescent children: a retrospective cohort study in Poland

In the total study sample, the adjusted beta coefficient for FEV1 per unit of the PEIP score was −0.06 (P=0.02), while that for FVC was −0.05 (P=0.04). The analysis carried out in the more polluted area found that children living in households heated with gas or coal had a PEIP score that was strongly inversely related to lung function (adjusted beta coefficient for FEV1=−0.13; P=0.03; for FVC=−0.15, P=0.01), whereas regression coefficients were not significant in the group of children living in households with central heating. This study suggests that a lower level of lung function in pre-adolescent children can be related to postnatal exposure to indoor emissions in the winter.