CHILDREN RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS AND DUST MITE : LEVELS IN CHILD CARE FACILITIES IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

In Singapore, there are increasing cases of children suffering from asthma, llergy and respiratory problems. Children are spending at least six hours per day in child care centers as both parents are working; having poor indoor air quality can generally deteriorate the health of the children. In addition to Prime Minister Lee Hisen Long’s National Day Rally 2008 new comprehensive measures, in hopeful of the increment of child birth for young couples. There would be more CCCs established in aid to the increasing demands.

The objectives of this study are to: 1) analyse the relation of children with higher socioeconomic status (SES) and the prevalence of asthma, common allergic and respiratory symptoms in children attending different CCCs and 2) analyse the prevalence of asthma, common skin allergic and respiratory symptoms in children attending different CCCs under the determinants of indoor allergens: dust mite level. The research methodology of this study made use of past tabulated questionnaire results. From the analysis of past questionnaire results it did not show any conclusive information that children with higher SES level has higher prevalence rates of having asthma, respiratory and allergy symptoms. Furthermore, an analysis of dust mite level for Der p 1 level of threshold level 2 μg/g was emphasized for the outer city CCCs, however it was found out that the 8 CCCs are lower than threshold level of 2 μg/g. Analysis has taken place in the 8 CCCs by subdividing them into 2 groups of traffic densities area namely Light and Medium. However from the analysis of the results, there is contradiction from the past data that higher Der p 1 level in CCCs will have higher prevalence rate of children suffering from asthma, respiratory and allergy symptoms.

The key limitations for this study are 1) simply looking at one single factor to derive the desired hypothesis, where they are many factors that can bring risk to the child’s health, 2) limited CCCs being looked into and 3) limited duration of time. However, the past results and data collected still proved useful in emphasizing and proving of the hypothesis. With this approach, the author hopes to contribute on a micro level of the children’s health in various CCCS in local region.