Kendrick J Williams, Ashley J Housten, Carrie C Coughlin
Health literacy in pediatric dermatology: challenges and opportunities
Current opinion in pediatrics
previous longitudinal study found exposure current levels ambient total fungal spores related reduction childhood lung function however biological properties various taxa fungal spores varied greatly well health effects study aimed determine whether specific fungal spores responsible observed changes lung function measurement lung function conducted 100 elementary middleschool students 510 occasions october 2007 november 2009 new taipei city taiwan week lung function measurement continuous daily concentrations fungal spores measured sunday saturday counts fungal spores belonging specific taxa identified mixedeffect model repeated measurements used analyze association lung function exposure specific taxon fungal spores forward stepwise regression applied determine specific fungal spores closely related lung function changes nonlinear relationship examined using generalized additive model piecewise linear regression applied determine threshold value total 824 measurements obtained 100 participants among species fungal spores cladosporium spores found negatively associated forced vital capacity fvc forced expiratory volume one second fev1 one day later association stronger one total spore counts lung function threshold exposure lung function effect became observable approximately 1500 sporesm3 study showed ambient cladosporium strongly associated observed lung function changes among schoolchildren replication preliminary findings geographic areas different populations would warranted